The Little Queen
by alycat63
Summary: "Mama why is my name Darcie?" "Your name Darissa comes from the Persian word Queen, and ruling this world is what you will do as the Al Ghul dynasty takes shape." "A new age is dawning, and the people will see once again that giants walk among them, giants that are destined to carry out a divine mission."
1. The Little Princess

**_Before…_**

AMNIOTIC FLUID DRAINED.

INCUBATOR WOMB UNLOCKED.

NINE MONTH TERM CYCLE COMPLETE.

INFANT WEIGHT SIX POUNDS TEN OUNCES.

"Come my little one."Talia carries up the infant to the sky admiring its existence. Cradling it her arms, unable to take her eyes off of the infant in her hands.

She has made the perfect child. A child genetically superior every other and it's hers. All these months pouring her time and resources have led to this and now it is up to her child to prove herself. Walking down the corridors to another room she moves towards a pool of water, with two nursemaid's following close behind her.

"Show me you have the strength,"Talia stops at the edge of the shallows and gently lowers the baby into the pool, her anticipation strong and her pride stronger.

"And the will power," The crying stops the baby is completely submerged in water.

"To do do what is necessary," and she lets go. This one has to be it, after so many failures and modifications and failures this one made it.

The infant kicks their limbs out swimming forward, "Let me see the steel in your eyes." Fascination slowly crawls into her features. Talia trails her eyes behind her infant.

One of the nursemaids follows the infant's movements worried about the child, but the elder nursemaid catches eye and shakes her head slowly a petrified look of fear on her face.

A look of resignation and fear comes over the young nursemaid but understands the warning and so stayed silent in her concerns for the infant's safety.

Satisfied with her daughter Talia raises up the baby from the water and holds her daughter, "Welcome to our world Darissa." She smiles at her daughter and cradles her close.

Talia takes the infant to a room set up for Darissa. Preparing to leave her to the nurse maids but she was met with her father in the corridor.

Blocking her path in one of the narrow walkway, body tense, taking heavy steps until reaching her on the other end of the corridor. Anger blazing in his eyes, his face flushed red, eyes narrowed like a snake, a sneer on his lips. He stands before her silent.

Talia grips her daughter tighter.

"Talia. I thought your little pet project would give me a grandson, an heir!"

Talia just stared stoically at Ra's before responding. "Father, I assure you she will not tarnish our lineage."

Ra's exhales deeply through his nostrils flaring at her words. "You can not guarantee that." He stares down at his daughter. What punishment should he give?

"She will not be my heir, and I will only claim her as an Al Ghul if she proves herself worthy."

Ra's decrees in that moment of his anger- his plan for a grandson Ruined!

Talia remained impassive but her tone became convicted in her response, "When she proves herself," correcting Ra's word. "I promise you she will be perfection."

With a flat voice of disbelief Ra's simply says, "We will see about that." and turns to leave.

"Until then keep her out of my sight."

"As you wish father" Talia injects the final words in that conversation.

She continues her way to her child's room, but brings the squirming child higher on her chest to make eye contact.

"Ignore him my child you will prove him wrong soon enough, and when you do you will exceed all his expectations." She touches her nose to the baby's nose. "I will make sure of that." She stops in front of a door and opens it to reveal Darissa's room.

 ** _4 Years Later_** ****

Her the last of her training for the day is with her mother.

Each are holding there wooden swords facing each other battling their mock fight, but the silence bothers her.

"Mama tell me another story about Alexander the Great." She swiped above the guard of her mother's sword and fails.

"Of course my daughter." They break apart and prepare to attack once once more.

"Once there was a horse called Bucephalus. A wild black stallion that was given to Alexander's Father, King Philip, as a gift that no one dared ride, and one day-"

"Who is my Father mama?"Darcie interrupts to ask a question.

A slightly irritated look passed Talia face at the interruption but she chose to answer her daughter's question anyway. "A man that lives very far away, now keep your sword up. What have I said about lowering your defenses?" Talia critiques.

Intrigued by the answer Darcie had stopped engaging in the sword fight all together, riddled with questions she had never thought to ask before. "How come you never tell me stories about him or show me pictures?"

Not wanting to anger her mother she raises her sword once more to engage in battle.

"Because I choose not to at this time my Darling." The wooden swords clash.

She can't stop wondering though. "Is he a king too?"

"I suppose in a way he is." She blocks the next attack from her mother, but she just needs to know. "Can I meet him?" She asks while barley blocking the next attack from her mother; the force of the attack causing her to stumble.

"When you earn the right to yes."

"How?"

She stops to face her mother fully. "By not losing your focus!"

Talia pulls her arms above her head in a wide arch coming down toward Darcie. Talia can't keep her daughter's attention on the fight but she must always invest everything in a fight,"There are no easy wins in life, Darissa. Everything worth having is hard fought."

Darcie narrowly dodges Thalia's kick and then blocks the next swing.

"Today is your birthday, my love, and when you best me in a duel on your special day, that is when you will be ready to meet your father." At Thalia's words Darcie eyes narrow into determination. Now she's invested in the fight she wants to know so she will beat Mother.

"Then and only then will I tell you his -"

A servant steps outside bows at the entrance, "Miss Talia as you requested, I have Otto Netz on a satellite link."

Talia stops her attack and stands to her full height she stops their fight and hands her weapon to her daughter. "Is it a secure line?"

"Yes." The servant steps aside for Talia and then follows behind her.

She steps into to the darkness with a single monitor light in the room.

Talia speaks first, "I grow weary of your excuses Netz. Make sure, the meta-bomb program stays on schedule."

"I endeavor to make your dreams a reality."

"As well you should. But any further disruptions and you will find yourself Expendable, understood?"

"You have my word there will be no further complications Talia."

"I'll have more than your word, Netz. I'll have your head."

"End Transmission." There is a short _click_ and the screen goes dark.

Talia trails the corridor for her daughter, "So the wild stallion took off in a blur of speed and… Darissa?" Talia continues her story as she walks out of the room. "Where are you Darissa?"

Darcie had gotten bored waiting for her mother to finish talking with the stranger and decided to find out what was in that chest in front of the bed. She tugs at the lock before it pops open. Eager She she pushes the chest open and stairs at the dark mask like cape.

She hears her mother's voice call for her and she answered "Here mama."

Talia walks into her bedchamber and sees her daughter on the bed wearing a familiar dark cowl"Look I'm a bat!"

At the sight of her daughter wearing the cowl on her bed she laughs and comes up to your daughter"You are more than the bat, my love." Talia picks up Darcie from the bed.

"You are Darissa, you are the future."

Walking out of the room Talia places her daughter on the ground and leads her to circular corridor. The floor is a model of the earth with all its color and vastness.

Darcie is still in a very curious mood so she continues her questions,"Mama why is my name Darcie?"

"Your name Darissa comes from the Persian word Queen, and ruling this world is what you will do as the Al Ghul dynasty takes shape."

"A new age is dawning, and the people will see once again that giants walk among them, giants that are destined to carry out a divine mission."

"Together we will build an everlasting kingdom"

"After you have dominance of the world you will control it- posses it. And I will show you how."

 _"There is only one way to rule the world, my darling daughter, and that is to understand the many facts of art in life."_

She takes on every beast of every land and takes their heads as trophies. She has taken on successfully nature's greatest warriors.

She thinks that's all she will need to defeat her mother, it's not. She is flat on her back wiped out by her mother's staff, "Happy Birthday Darissa, you loose."

 _"You will immerse yourself in each and every subject and I expect nothing but complete Mastery over all of them."_

She learns how to read music, perfects every instrument she picks up. She learns from her new teachers everything they know in technique and form.

Her body is under her complete control. She has balance a delicate touch when holding an instrument an iron fist that breaks ten boards when fighting an enemy. She thought it was enough, taking up the same weapon as her mother she fought. She lost. Her cheek was pressed to ground, her nunchuck had flown out of her grip and landed on the other side of the room, Talia stood above her shadow looming over her "Happy Birthday my Daughter, you loose."

 _"You will come to understand that there is nothing your body and mind can't do when they work in tandem."_

She needed to know more -everything.

This life or death filter in her mind forced her to fight until her opponent was dead.

Taking up art detail became everything. Understanding the important facts of life She learned about every Scientific branch that sparked interest from Astronomy to bio-engineering to computer science.

It also marks the first year she is sent out on assassinations. Her sniper skills are exceptionally great, her perfected skill.

She feels daring enough to get close and personal as she attempts to defeat her mother, for her efforts she ends up with a short blade at her throat and her mother at her back, "Happy Birthday Darissa, you loose."

The year of blood slowly started creeping up on her and she barely had her training done. She asked her mother to push up her time table, doubling her daily lessons and taking on more missions to have the field training and experience under her belt.

A few days ago Ra's asked to meet her and that was making her nervous.

From that day on all her missions where personally given to her by Ra's Al Ghoul.

At first he was cruel and unrelenting one impossible mission after another but as time went on she would return victorious.

After one particular mission her grandfather actually engaged her in a conversation it was surprising. He would give short anecdotes about Al Ghoul's history things that were not written on paper. He would show her great treasures in their possessions and how all of it would be hers to claim when she passed her final year of trials. Every day she was told she was meant for great things by Ra's by her mother her teachers. When the new year came her cape flared around her as she bowed to Ra's.

Bright green eyes glowed in the dim lighting of the fires. The drums beat thrummed around her again and again reverberating in her chest.

Back then the year would be her pride until she met her father and it became her deepest regret.

 _ **Now…..**_

"Mother." Darcie bows to her mother. While not outwardly expressing her emotions struggled to keep her face neutral as excitement bubbles to the surface of her regale calmness.

"Darissa," Her Mother acknowledged as she came forward to stand beside her.

Thalia stays silent for a few minutes simply looking at the multiple screens on the wall but a sharp look and Darissa knows its time. "Watch carefully my daughter. Tell me, can you find your father?" Talia places a hand on her shoulder,"Can you discern his features, his demeanor?" her mother asks.

"The way he carries himself, his attitude and actions are very telling."

Darissa just hums in concentration looking from monitor to monitor until stopping at one of a tall man with a charming smile talking to a woman.

She has his jaw and cheekbones his hair color and eye shape. "There that's him mother" she points at the screen with absolute certainty.

A pleased smile forms on Talia's face. "Yes my daughter now prepare to meet your father face to face."

"My manbats have subdued him. Make ready Darissa. We'll be arriving in the bowels of London shortly."

"Yes Mother" Darcie says absently still transfixed on the image of her father. That is the man that is responsible for her existence, the great mystery of her life. Finally she will know her father. She watches her father evade the man bats and escape before returning in his bat costume. She admires his valiant effort to escape capture, before looking away. No more stories no more screens, she wants to see him in person.

The manbats dragged her father to kneel before her mother.

"I've allowed you to evade your responsibilities, my beloved."

"She has been Trained not only by me, but the best masters of the league of assassins along with other special… teachers. But the child is growing beyond even my control" Patience escaped her by every word waiting and wanting desperately to reveal herself. All she needed was the signal.

"Child?"Surprise filled his hard features.

"She needs your guiding hand at this juncture to become the perfect heir to the Al Ghoul Empire."

"Soon I intend to hold the whole world hostage to a new kind of terror.. But in the meantime, I leave you to get get acquainted. Don't allow her to cramp your style, my detective." Talia walks away.

Darissa's black hair sweeps her elbows as she walks toward her father. She knows her mother expects her to act a certain way but she is not prepared to get closer to her father.

She pulls her Katana to his neck. No time to be scared after all he is right here "Father. I imagined you taller."

* * *

 **AN: This will be following the comics from the pre-new 52 and the new 52**

 **I'm focusing solely on Damian's character as a female everyone else is the same gender.**

 **When it came to picking her name there were several that made the list but a lot of them ended up not fitting well as the meaning behind the names fell short of what Damian's name meant, eventually I settled on Darissa with the short version of her name being Darcie meaning "Queen" in Persian in tribute of character's birth location.**

 **After the first arch the story will break off from cannon but follow the same story arcs with a few personal ones thrown in here and there.**

 **Update: So I don't have beta reader and I try my best to go over the chapters and fix stuff so hears** **for round one!**


	2. The Little Princess Part 2

**The Little Princess Part 2**

She has been standing in the cave since the moment she stepped out of the Batmobile, not once looking away from her father. She knows that this stay is brief and that makes her irritated, when she defeated her mother she wanted to meet her father, to know him, not observe briefly. But her mother did not find it worth her time to tell her about her father.

It's been 10 minutes. Her father has not so much as glanced in her general direction a huff at being ignored she turned her head inspecting the odd objects around the cave.

There was a life size T-Rex model a giant penny, different cars lined up around the one she had come in with. To her right there were glass cases holding uniforms. Then there was the supercomputer that her father sitting in front staring intently at the screen. There's more but she can't see it from where She's standing.

Despite the fact that she had been trained to hold her tongue she had a familiar spark of curiosity. What were the stories behind those objects? If she asked would her father tell her? She stopped that train of thought and steeled herself once more she did not owe her father anything she was an Al Ghoul first through her sweat, blood and tears; and a Wayne second. Her father could not change who she was.

The sudden silence of her Father's typing caught her attention. Someone walks down the metal steps it's a tall aged man in a butler uniform. The impassive air around the man reminds her of her art teacher and her handmaid. Their silence and composure when addressing her is uncanny.

Despite not disliking them, but also seeing them expendable she doesn't see what one servant could possibly do; and there lies her confusion.

According to what she knows the man raised her Father should she show him respect or treat him like the servants that took care of her? She stared intently at the butler until deciding she wasn't staying long enough for it to matter and if not she could always 'apologize' as the western term for it. She doesn't have to put much effort into being unpleasant. She raises an eyebrow lips into a tiny frown "Are you the _only_ servant of the household?"

The man keeps his calm composure deep British accent "Indeed I am, Miss?"

"Darissa Al Ghoul" She responds curtly and then proceeds to ignore his existence entirely, she turns her back to him refocusing on her father. Her father sends a stony glare of disapproval at her lack of respect but she just shrugs her shoulders and glares back.

"Darissa, Alfred will help you unpack." Darissa turns and walks up the ramp to her father.

"It's been a long and difficult journey. You should get some rest." A deadpan look passes over Darcie's face and with a short huff she calls out to her father, "You don't tell _me_ what I should do! Mother let me do what I want."

He didn't even twitch, "Things are different here. I _said_ Alfred will help you unpack."

She ignores him and walks up the stairs. "Fuck you!" He won't even give her one minute!

She reaches the inside of the house and waits for the butler to get there.

"This way, Miss. Darissa," He walks towards the hallway. He stops in front of a white door and she walks in looking for her duffle bag. She opens it and sees her sword missing. Who dares take what is hers!

"Where is my sword?" She throws her bag aside. Who took it!

"I want a laptop."

Butler raises an eyebrow, "I'm afraid that I can't complete your request Miss Darissa. You would need your Father's permission."

She grounds her teeth. "Fine I'll get them myself." She walks out of the room stomping her feet every step. The clock does not open for her but it does for the butler's voice.

The cave entrance is opened and she stepped down the stairs and stopped a little ways behind her Father. Hands at her side, feat forward back straight. "I want my sword returned to me, and I want a laptop."

There is a breath of silence before Bruce answers her, "No."

She thought so, "-and why not? I have earned the right to carry my blade! It is not your place." Her final comment got the reaction she wanted.

The Batman stood up from the chair and turned to look at her, "Your mother says you were trained by the masters of the League of Assassins if you intend to stay with me will put that training to good use in the fight against crime." A mocking smile forms on her face.

"Fight crime? Ha!"

She looks up at the bats hanging from the cave roof, "So how do you deal with problem of methane gas? As a byproduct of estimates that is. I've lived in case before… He glances up as well, "the bats have their own Preserve."

Batman answers her question but then tries to pull her back to the previous topic. "Darissa, your mother claims that she sent you here to learn.."

Her fist clench, "My mother was not there for me. Running a criminal Empire doesn't leave much time for bonding." lies she tells herself in her head. Her mother is always there at every step at every corner.

She is done with talking at this point. She will fight him to prove she deserves her sword.

While she has defeated her mother in combat a handful of times, she is less likely to win against her father but if there is a one in an infinite chance the universe came into existence then at the very least she has one in an infant chance of winning.

Perhaps she won't need to win though just to prove her point but to show she is competent in combat.

"Fight me." She goes for a high kick but Batman steps back effortlessly dodging.

"Show me respect and fight me."

"Don't be ridiculous." He calls out as he blocks a punch with his forearm. She raises her leg and knees Batman directly to his diaphragm, and goes for a punch to the ear.

"You're good. But if you need brass knuckles you're not good enough." Her wrist is completely encased in Batman's hold.

"My weekend in the mountains was pretty uneventful." She adds as an afterthought.

"Darissa enough," He lets go of her wrist and steps back.

She drops her stance, and looks away from her Father. "I see."

Batman stares at her, one moment she is prepared to fight it out and the next she drops everything all together. His 'daughter' is confusing him. He grunts and sits back down facing the monitor. He ignores her entirely, again.

She hates it here. It's another ten minutes or so before he stands up from his seat turned and looked at her.

She blankly stared at him and he stared at her, nothing but complete silence. "I'm going up stairs don't move." He turned to the staircase and left. Her body grew stiff, she scuffed. "Like you could stop me," She retorts before she can bite back her words. She slumps back but does not move at all from her place. Batman just grunts in a non-committed way and leaves her. She is not alone for long though.

She hears footsteps coming down the metal stairs, looking up she sees Timothy Drake the fool that had somehow earned her Grandfather's respect. When she had to practically grovel at his feet and completed every whim no matter how impossible to be recognized as an Al Ghoul.

That's when the perfect idea came to her a wolfish smile crossed her face. If she managed to kill Drake she could impress her Grandfather and take out her competition for his inheritance while also showing her father that she is superior to Drake.

Drake doesn't seem surprised by her presence she assumes that her father told him about her.

"Hi, I'm Tim Drake." His arm stretched out in front of her. She raises a brow, lip pursed. Did he expect her to shake his filthy hand? How disgusting! "I know exactly who you are." She scoffs at him and smacks his hand away.

As if Grandfather did not tell her about Father's partners, as if she had not been compared to him on any occasion she fell short of perfection.

She hated him before even meeting him, would have rather of met the one mother was so fond of than Drake.

However, mother did say to cause trouble, "How dare you address me!"

"Do you not realize you are no longer needed?" Darissa sneers, throwing her fist forward.

He dodges to the left and moves back but she follows him elbowing him in the face busting his lip "Tt worthless."

He did not fight back at all, his mistake. "Prove to me that you are worthy of such high praise and honor." She kicked his leg and went to knock him over with a jab to the chest but was blocked quickly.

He stretched his arm out tossing aside her hand but left his head unprotected, taking the shot she throws her fist to his temple. He dropped down to the next platform on top of the t-rex model's head.

"Why are you doing this?" He looks up at her, cradling his head a wry pull at his lips. Darissa drops down on the T-rex, punching his nose. Disoriented he kneels attempting to stay still or risk falling off.

"I am the perfect partner, from his own flesh and blood. When you are gone I will take my rightful place as Father's successor his child his only _real_ child."

She thinks back to her mother's promise to only _meet_ her father, but is it selfish of her to want to be by her father's side? Perhaps but she has wanted this for so long fought for it for so long and to be so close she is willing to do anything for it to happen, has done everything to make this possible. Killing one more person really is not going to change anything for her either way.

She pulls out a small blade that held her hair moved forward and grabbed a fist full of his hair pulling the blade right over his Adam's apple.

"I could slit your throat," she holds the tiny blade between her fingertips. She frowns "but that is too easy." She caressed his throat with the edge of the blade. Contemplating what to do for only the briefest of moments before coming to a decision. Nodded her head in contempt and says a single word "Fall." She harshly shoves him off the edge of the giant T-rex model. Watching with satisfaction as Tim's body eventually lands on the floor. He doesn't get up again.

"Tt" She crosses her arms disappointed; he did not rise to her challenge that was not a proper defeat. She contemplates helping him, to keep him alive for a proper victory.

Alfred comes walking down the stairs "What is going on down here?" He pauses at the entrance and looks down sees the glass scattered about.

"Master Tim!" His steps are brisk and quick.

"Young Lady explain." He comes over to Drake's side checking for a pulse and then rearranging his limbs to be flat on the ground, swiping away glass and picking him up.

She steps aside not intervening in anyway. If he survives it will not be despite her but it will also not be from her help either.

"He believed himself capable to defend himself from me," a sardonic smile on her face "I proved him wrong."

A shadow encompassed her and her eyes slightly widened before she was yanked back by her shoulders. The grip of her father was strong incredible strong, and it hurt? Oh. Her eyes dimmed.

"Alfred, how is robin?" "Young master Tim's lost a significant amount of blood, but fortunately our emergency supplies are adequate to the task."

"I'm going out, Talia still has the British prime minister's wife, and the man-bats are still at large."

He lets her go and moves toward the batmobile. "Darissa with me! You're too dangerous to be left alone."

"Let me help you." She pleads,did she go to far?

"Help me? How can I trust you after this? You almost _killed_ Robin!"

"But I-"

"Darissa it's clear that your mother sent you here to disrupt my work."

Desperate to get a word in she raises her voice, "It's not like that!"

"I'll tell you where she is, if you let me fight at your side."

"I already know where she is. The blindfold you were wearing had a light adhesive coating. It picked up traces of unique pollen for an island called Las Montanas in the African ocean."

"But she's not there _now_ , is she?" Darissa flails her arms, gesturing to emphasis her point. "Because she wants something from Great Britain in exchange for the life of the prime minister's wife and I think I know what it is."

She doesn't pause to think about the traitorous thing she's about to say, "It's Gibraltar! She wants the Garrison at Gibraltar! See? I can be useful!" She opens her hands in front of her to show that she's not a threat.

"Hn"Her father doesn't believe her.

"Follow me,"He can't leave her alone though.

Her Father jumped in the batmobile and she jumps in on the other side, "and do exactly as I tell you."

"I won't fail you father."Relief fills her thoughts, just once she will be at her father's side.

 **AN: Next up the confrontation of parents, then a personal twist to the next arc. For the next chapter I will not take as long to update but this is my first commitment to a multi chapter story.**

 **Alright now for some interesting things, if you're one of those people that like to listen to music that relates to what they're reading I have created a playlist of songs. Starting this chapter the song in mind are: "Father & Son"- Son of Batman Soundtrack, Shine by younger brother.**

 **Some explanations for Darissa's hatred for Tim will be explained in the near future. Tim's lack of reaction is because Darissa is tiny as hell and he is not willing to take her serious until well it's too late.**

 **Update: I fixed some thing hopefully its better first revision.**


	3. The Little Princess Part 3

**The Little Princess Part 3**

"My father, Ra's Al Ghoul, always had a soft spot for Gibraltar." Talia sighs fondly, cradling her head in her palm. Her long nails tapping on her cheekbone,"He called it the perfect tactical outpost."

She stares out into dark pit of the ocean dept. "Now, your government still maintains a substantial military presence on the island."

Talia smiles, a cold and unforgiving smile; like a funny joke was told but she can't quite grasp the human emotion.

"Tell All to stand down when my soldiers arrive or I'll see to it that your lovely wife is devoured Alive by cannibal gourmets. Really prime minister I will."

Talia delivers her final threat, then waves to one of the soldiers to cut the feed. She turns around and looks at the hysteric women tied up.

Her eyes are wide and pleading, and her appearance is entirely unkempt.

Talia stares her down head tilted up but her eyes stay focused on the woman. Talia lips curled into amusement, it's so satisfying to see human's pitiful flaw asking for mercy and giving it. At least her daughter knows not to have mercy.

Darissa stays still as they drive down a winding road. The red light gives her a sense of panic, of adrenaline, her fear spikes, and anticipation runs rampant. She is going to see her father in action. This is so new, so different from what her mother told her about him.

They came to sudden stop and if it wasn't for the seat belt that pulled back tightly she would have flown forward. Her eyes scrunch up a little in surprise but she quickly got over it.

Batman had already opened up the batmobile and jumped out moving toward a closed off warehouse. She rushes to get out of the batmobile and moves to her Father's side.

At first glance it looked like an old abandoned warehouse but as she got closer she noticed the reinforced structure, there are motion sensors at every corner, cameras at every angle, and traps for every nook and cranny.

Batman pauses at the entrance to unlock the entrance. There is a repeated echo as the harsh white lights turn on around them. Her shoe scuffs the floor echoed around the room, she hears the shifting of fabric as she walks from her cloths.

The silence is bothering her to an extreme level, it makes her skin feel chilled and her mind an open nerve sensitive to anything.

Batman walks toward two doors he opens the second one and inside are multiple astronaut outfits of multiple sizes.

He pulls out the smallest one in the back of the closet.

"Put this on." Batman tells her, pointing to a closet.

Darissa huffs unimpressed with the ill fitted outfit, so much for the man with a plan to his back-up plan.

She walks into the closet letting the door swing shut.

She puts on the jump suit first shoving her foot into the pant leg and then the other leg- it hung off her like a sheet that tangles at her feet and challenges her equilibrium.

"Fine. Be difficult I'll win." She bunched up the sleeves and pulls up the pant legs forcefully puts on the large boots and gloves.

She looks down at herself and groans in indignation, she is very much aware of her short stature but despite being the smallest outfit Father has, it just makes her look like a toddler.

Growling lowly at her luck she closes her eyes taking in a deep calming breath to prepare for the embarrassment when she walks out that door.

When Darissa walked out of the room she looked quite comical, her lips were pulled down in a grimace, cheeks sticking out in a pouty manner.

It was very childish, and Batman most definitely picked up on the fact that she looked unfeigned and innocent. He imagined the possibility of a mundane setting of father and daughter going out shopping and his daughter pouting up at him begging for that one stuffed animal they just saw at the shop window.

Darissa shifts her weight from foot to foot wondering why her Father is synchronizing her, it grates on her to an unbelievable level, reminding her of Grandfather when she failed but she had not done anything to deserve such a look.

"What?"Darissa's voice punctures through the muted silence of the warehouse and his musings.

Batman just frowns lightly and turns his back to her,"Let's go."

But no this little girl in front of him has killed people raised to be the antithesis of everything he stood for -truly Talia knows how to play this harsh and bitter game. He has seen what this little girl has done to robin, she does not understand justice or mercy and that makes a very dangerous human. But maybe, he can help her or if nothing else make sure she isn't a danger to herself and others.

She puts on the space helmet and puts in place all of the seat straps in place as the mechanical voice of the A.I. warns three minutes before blast off. She stills herself in the seat her eyes wide and bright.

This is more than she expected but why has her father not acknowledged her? She does not have that much time left with him why can't he acknowledge her?

Slowly recessing into herself, face blanking out she worries that she might have failed her mother, perhaps she has gone too far to gain attention from her mysterious- unknown father?

* * *

"Men are so predictable. He'll feel responsible for your rescue you see. He's like that." Talia crosses her arms,and absently recalls her beloved's determination to do whatever it takes to save someone.

"I want him to see how easily I can make him do exactly what I want." Talia smirks in self-satisfaction. She methodically taps her fingertips on her arm, like an internal clock counting down the time till she lays eyes on the man who gave her the perfect child.

"Bulu! The Dark Knight is coming get ready to-" A sharp breath interrupts her command as her eyes catch the familiar shadow of the Dark Knight.

Batman drops down from the sky and kicks Bulu with all the force of his fall that pushes him to the ground in an instant Knockout.

Darissa goes for the cluster of ninjas around the Prime minister's wife, she kicks off one to elbow the other in the face, a familiar crunch of a person's nose crumbling gives her instant satisfaction."Guhh!" One cries out at biting off their tongue from her uppercut to the jaw.

"Ha! Look at me mother!" Darissa calls out, hoping for the elusive words of praise.

"Mother's busy at the moment dear!"Talia's narrowed eyes follow Batman and she navigates towards an open area for her man-bats to appear,staying away from Batman's path.

She fiddles with her communication watch before returning her focus on her love. Once she confirms their ETA,Talia stepped out of the shadows, deadly and beautiful all the same.

"Mother I ruined your plans!" Darissa excitedly defeats the last of the ninjas.

"Of course you haven't darling I wanted you to bring him here."Talia response to her daughter. Batman takes quick steps put pauses a short distance.

"You know I always get what I want, Beloved. And what I want is you. I want us to fulfill my father's wishes and be family"Talia brushes her long elegant hair off her shoulder.

"Who else in this world is like us, Bruce Wayne?"She asks the love of her life.

"The century's greatest crime fighter, the daughter of the Greatest Crime Lord. And there genetically perfect child."Talia motions to herself Darissa and Batman.

"Join me and I promise I'll never threaten civilization again."Talia swears with a less than convincing tone.

"We'll found a Dynasty that will rule the planet for a thousand years. Ours is a love love story remember?" Thunder cracks in the sky.

"That was long time ago, Talia."Batman corrects her, making his first statement in their showdown.

"Then it's war."Talia's face pinches into a hateful stare.

"My dear detective, my mad, billionaire, brilliant genius with your secret hideouts, your double life and your justice league membership, it's not over."Her expression falls blank.

"For people like us, the world is the game board, and nations are pawns." She takes gentle steps toward Darissa kneeling besides her hands laid on her shoulder in a motherly protective stance.

"Make your choice Darissa are you coming with your Mother or would you go with your Father?"

Darissa gives a helplessly lost look, and gives one the most honest statements of her life "Do I have to choose? I would much rather we were all together."

Talia just gives her an unimpressed look while her father has not stopped glaring at her mother.

Both her parents ignored her plea. Rejection felt like a bitter pill of regret, insulting her right to very core.

Her mother's hands slip from her shoulders as Talia stands once more. Batman tenses with more alertness than before.

"Kirk Langstrom is consulting with the British army on Man-Bat tactics as we speak. The prime minister's wife is safe Talia. Robin and Alfred are both still alive." Batman harshly response to Talia.

"Your little guided-missile did her best but it's over. I'm giving both of you a second chance you don't deserve. Get out of here before the British Navy blows you out of the water." Batman stands tense with his final offer.

Talia measures her words carefully for her next words,"One of the first things my father taught me was how to escape certain death."

Talia slowly drags her eyes up to meet Batman's glare, her eyes flashing with the lighting around them with an edge of danger.

"You're here because I want to give you one last chance beloved."

She relaxes her stance opening herself up to being genuine. "Reform me."

Batman openly reacts to her statement realizing that this meeting was manipulated from the very beginning,"You set this all up?" He shouts angrily.

Darissa crosses her arms for a man that supposedly knows everything, he sounded very surprised.

"They will kill you both! Human lives are not a game Talia!" There is a slight panic in his voice that confuses Darissa. There is no way that any of them would die right here, but completely ignores the fact that they could definitely get injured.

"Of course not My Detective. Of course not." Talia is completely focused on her Father refusing to look away.

Darissa stares at the ocean water for a few moments and realizes the water is rippling unnaturally and there is a dark imprint of a missile directly aimed at there vessel, right where her mother is standing.

"Mother?"

It's so close but her mother has yet to see the threat. Darissa surges forward, pushing herself off the ground to shove her Mother out of the way. Talia smiles holding eye contact with her father a victorious smirk,"Your move."

Just before a blinding flash deafening boom as the vessel explodes.

 **Elsewhere**.

"Darissa was magnificent!" Talia openly praises, "Every inch her father's child and mine!"

Her eyes alight from their first encounter with the Dark Knight. She moves toward the lab.

"But she's badly hurt." She leads the ninja to the medical center.

She tells the doctors and scientist, "Quickly! full organ Harvest and replacement."

The limp body of her daughter is placed on the metal table to be hooked up to the life support. The glass tube is brought down and it begins to fill up with plasma.

"Now! She must not die!" Talia gives her cold command and leaves the room quickly.

* * *

Talia steps out of the large shower, and wraps a towel around herself,"So?"

She walks toward her bedchamber her composure tolerant and calm.

"Your daughter is in stable condition." The servant reported statically.

"-and Bruce Wayne, is the gossip true?"Talia towel dries her hair, and then disregards the wet towel for a brush. She sits down on a stool next to the wall mirror.

"Gossip?" The servant replies absently before quickly giving a proper response, "He's been seen with Jezebel Jet the supermodel."

Talia gives a growl of irritation. Movements heavy and harsh as she untangles her hair.

She sets the brush down and stands up picking up the white blouse form a folded pile. She quickly gets dressed and heads toward her office.

* * *

"Brain activity normal."A scientist reports, staring at a monitor.

"Vital signs regular."another adds from another part of the room, taking notes from the data as well before passing it to a doctor to check.

In the center of the room Darissa's comatose body floats gently in the plasma as the machine stitches her closed with her new organs replaced the damaged ones. Her long hair flaring out around her as she takes deep methodical breaths with her new lungs.

* * *

"Twice." Talia frowns in dissatisfaction, "Twice this week." She thought that she had studied him enough to predict the outcome of both meetings with Batman - but both times she failed! She did not predict his actions correctly or did she fail to account for something?

"Leave me. I must think." She leans on her desk her head cradled on her hand taping in frustration on her cheek.

Long hair drapes down creating a large shadow on her face making her scowl look deeper and eyes piercing.

 **AN: So this took longer than expected, and I blame my laziness and then the fact that I got sick for a few days.**

 **For the next chapter there is going to be a short time skip, and it's almost done. Yay! I actually have most of the next arch done so updates should be steady for a while.**

 **Bonus I am posting a chapter tomorrow that does not relate to the next arch but is form one of my favorite comic book moments of Damian. So keep an eye out for that.**

 **Future events: For the Batman and Robin(2011) arch I'm not actually going to write out the comic story as it seems redundant but what I'm planning on doing is doing the after story or off panel stuff where Dick and Darissa bond. The exceptions will be if it's in a flash back or if there are changes I make to the cannon story then it will be written out, other exceptions are crossovers where Darissa meets or interacts with a superhero for the first time. There is also going to be a lot of fluff, angst, sibling bonding and perhaps some blood.**

 **Update: First revision hope its better-ish.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Somewhere in Balia**

She was trained for this- thrived on the blood of all that stood in her way. If she wanted something it is to be paid in blood.

She is phenomenal in the art of killing. She is Darissa Al Ghoul. She is perfection she must be perfection for a single flaw and she will be unworthy. Being only a child who has been scorned for showing kindness and attachments, they are dealt with swiftly.

She is shunned when she shows empathy to any human, only cruel humor is an exception, only a mask of unsympathetic coldness. And because caring about humans is never safe she never learns to be human. Life lessons are not about sharing, kindness, respect, no her lessons are kill. To kill trapped in a continuous cycle of being in a state of worthy and unworthy should ever she fail.

She was taught by Mother and Grandfather what their honor was and that to shame it was to be met with punishment, but that was never the problem for she had the talent and skill to be perfect in their eyes. So she was spoiled. She was raised to think that the world owed her everything because she was perfect.

Until she could no longer stand on fragile pillars of salt and sand that held the weight of her mental state, of her emotional state. She tried so hard to destroy that long standing flaw. Anything to reach that perpetual but ever elusive goal of perfection. Sleep deprivation, medication, herbs, concoctions, intoxication eventually failed her.

She would never notice herself thoughtlessly helping a baby bird into its nest,right before invading a family's home to kill her next target inside their own walls.

She never stopped to think. When on her way to the next mission, passing through a forest helping a rabbit out of an animal the delay it caused her, ultimately she found the traitor she was hunting down.

She did not register the fact that he helped a fish untangle itself out of a plastic bag during a deep sea training lesson. Animals were safe her subconscious. She must have thought that she could show animals what she could not to humans.

So when the year of blood came, the year she must prove herself undeniably, undoubtedly worthy of the Al Ghoul Legacy.

This child was broken, she was a master assassin a soldier she was perfect.

* * *

She is almost done. Her goal is practically in the palm of her hand already.

Killing these beast comes to her just as easily as when she started her trails.

"I have traveled to far," stab. "Skree!"

"Delved too deep," slices a throat. Thunk!

"Fought too hard," "Skree!" a head rolls from a body,"Slept too little," a heart is pierced and ripped apart by her blade.

"To suffer any more protests!" Her steps leave bloody footprints.

"Ah the littlest and the last let us end this as the warriors our families wish us to be?" She swirls the end of her sword in the air.

"What say you, coward?"

Big yellow eyes stare up at her, confusion written all over the tiny beasts face.

"Rree?"

"FIGHT ME!"

Smacked her sword and shorthand trident on the sides of the pathetic beast.

"No excuses runt Do not dishonor your family's cause! All their hope falls to you!"

"FIGHT FOR THEM!"

Teeth grinding eyes ablaze with a mixture of emotions hot tears of frustration threatening to spill out of her hazed look of rage. Hair oily and matted short strands sticking to her forehead other strands of hair falling in in her line of sight.

Kneeling down blade pointed at the final beast's throat poised ready to plunge the blood-soaked blade.

The beast stepped towards her its tiny claws not even able to scratch the floor as it steps forward. It just keeps looking straight into her tear filled eyes, it stops barely an inch away and licks her nose.

It tilts its head eyes searching for something in her eyes that is no longer there.

"Skree?"

She brings a shaky hand to her face touching the spot where the tiny creature had liked her nose.

It did not attempt to attack her, it had shown kindness not hostility despite all she had done to make it react to her, this- this stupid creature!

She was a tool a weapon forged in loneliness and cruelty, and for her actions she must measure them out in full. Her torch is dim but in this lifeless cave full of graves she stops her pace abruptly and now has nothing to stop her actions from overwhelming her.

For the first time the weight of all her actions came crashing down on her and it set so deeply into her being she feels an unimaginable unmeasurable sense of guilt. Tears streaming down her face as her shoulders shake and shudder she swallows silent sobs while heaving in an attempt to take in oxygen.

Her hands flew to her face covering her eyes in shame and bitter sadness she came closer and closer to the floor. The creature laid itself on her lap to try and comfort her. She enveloped herself around the tiny creature to hide her shame in falling apart at a single act of kindness.

Light faded from her single torch and darkness blanketed her in the cave. She stayed there crying letting all of herself that she had superseded to come out. She cried for her actions, She cried for the pain that seemed unending She cried because she was finally able to feel, she cried for her failure.

The failure to her mother and grandfather. Her failure to understand what terrible things she has done before now. She cried from relief,she cried because this year was almost done. She knew that one day she would lose anything she had left of her soul if she did not change. She desired something more. Desired to change but could not for she knew not how. She was stuck in a perpetual state of loathing and pride for her actions unable to leave behind the world of death. She would never know what was missing from herself until she got the chance to meet her father right when she's on the edge of falling.

* * *

 **A.N: This chapter is from Robin Son of Batman storyline. I love this particular flashback because it highlights everything about Damian's character that I find relatable not personally but he reminds me of my own father who served in the military for most of the time I've been alive. Now that he is retired it's really hard to interact with him at times because he is ageing and with that it causes more pain to his injures which is something that Damian deals with coming to his father's side past his prime and just seeing him struggle with that human aspect. Another is the sheer brutality of Damian both my father and I have extremely morbid humor. He casually tells me some stories during his deployments some gruesome but a coping mechanism for PTSD is humor. Damian also tends to have more empathy towards animals than humans which besides immediate family my Father tends to be closed off to everyone.**

 **In a way Damian's character helps me to know my father in a sort of "what if?" scenario and that is the reason why Damian is my personal favorite DC character.**

 **Recommended Songs: Human by Rag'n'Bone Man; Thirst Thorsten Quaeschning Ulrich Schnauss; You Can Run by Adam Jones**


	5. Family and Family Interst

**_Before…_**

AMNIOTIC FLUID DRAINED.

INCUBATOR WOMB UNLOCKED.

NINE MONTH TERM CYCLE COMPLETE.

INFANT WEIGHT SIX POUNDS TEN OUNCES.

"Come my little one."Talia carries up the infant to the sky admiring its existence. Cradling it her arms, unable to take her eyes off of the infant in her hands.

She has made the perfect child. A child genetically superior every other and it's hers. All these months pouring her time and resources have led to this and now it is up to her child to prove herself. Walking down the corridors to another room she moves towards a pool of water, with two nursemaid's following close behind her.

"Show me you have the strength,"Talia stops at the edge of the shallows and gently lowers the baby into the pool, her anticipation strong and her pride stronger.

"And the will power," The crying stops the baby is completely submerged in water.

"To do do what is necessary," and she lets go. This one has to be it, after so many failures and modifications and failures this one made it.

The infant kicks their limbs out swimming forward, "Let me see the steel in your eyes." Fascination slowly crawls into her features. Talia trails her eyes behind her infant.

One of the nursemaids follows the infant's movements worried about the child, but the elder nursemaid catches eye and shakes her head slowly a petrified look of fear on her face.

A look of resignation and fear comes over the young nursemaid but understands the warning and so stayed silent in her concerns for the infant's safety.

Satisfied with her daughter Talia raises up the baby from the water and holds her daughter, "Welcome to our world Darissa." She smiles at her daughter and cradles her close.

Talia takes the infant to a room set up for Darissa. Preparing to leave her to the nurse maids but she was met with her father in the corridor.

Blocking her path in one of the narrow walkway, body tense, taking heavy steps until reaching her on the other end of the corridor. Anger blazing in his eyes, his face flushed red, eyes narrowed like a snake, a sneer on his lips. He stands before her silent.

Talia grips her daughter tighter.

"Talia. I thought your little pet project would give me a grandson, an heir!"

Talia just stared stoically at Ra's before responding. "Father, I assure you she will not tarnish our lineage."

Ra's exhales deeply through his nostrils flaring at her words. "You can not guarantee that." He stares down at his daughter. What punishment should he give?

"She will not be my heir, and I will only claim her as an Al Ghul if she proves herself worthy."

Ra's decrees in that moment of his anger- his plan for a grandson Ruined!

Talia remained impassive but her tone became convicted in her response, "When she proves herself," correcting Ra's word. "I promise you she will be perfection."

With a flat voice of disbelief Ra's simply says, "We will see about that." and turns to leave.

"Until then keep her out of my sight."

"As you wish father" Talia injects the final words in that conversation.

She continues her way to her child's room, but brings the squirming child higher on her chest to make eye contact.

"Ignore him my child you will prove him wrong soon enough, and when you do you will exceed all his expectations." She touches her nose to the baby's nose. "I will make sure of that." She stops in front of a door and opens it to reveal Darissa's room.

 ** _4 Years Later_** ****

Her the last of her training for the day is with her mother.

Each are holding there wooden swords facing each other battling their mock fight, but the silence bothers her.

"Mama tell me another story about Alexander the Great." She swiped above the guard of her mother's sword and fails.

"Of course my daughter." They break apart and prepare to attack once once more.

"Once there was a horse called Bucephalus. A wild black stallion that was given to Alexander's Father, King Philip, as a gift that no one dared ride, and one day-"

"Who is my Father mama?"Darcie interrupts to ask a question.

A slightly irritated look passed Talia face at the interruption but she chose to answer her daughter's question anyway. "A man that lives very far away, now keep your sword up. What have I said about lowering your defenses?" Talia critiques.

Intrigued by the answer Darcie had stopped engaging in the sword fight all together, riddled with questions she had never thought to ask before. "How come you never tell me stories about him or show me pictures?"

Not wanting to anger her mother she raises her sword once more to engage in battle.

"Because I choose not to at this time my Darling." The wooden swords clash.

She can't stop wondering though. "Is he a king too?"

"I suppose in a way he is." She blocks the next attack from her mother, but she just needs to know. "Can I meet him?" She asks while barley blocking the next attack from her mother; the force of the attack causing her to stumble.

"When you earn the right to yes."

"How?"

She stops to face her mother fully. "By not losing your focus!"

Talia pulls her arms above her head in a wide arch coming down toward Darcie. Talia can't keep her daughter's attention on the fight but she must always invest everything in a fight,"There are no easy wins in life, Darissa. Everything worth having is hard fought."

Darcie narrowly dodges Thalia's kick and then blocks the next swing.

"Today is your birthday, my love, and when you best me in a duel on your special day, that is when you will be ready to meet your father." At Thalia's words Darcie eyes narrow into determination. Now she's invested in the fight she wants to know so she will beat Mother.

"Then and only then will I tell you his -"

A servant steps outside bows at the entrance, "Miss Talia as you requested, I have Otto Netz on a satellite link."

Talia stops her attack and stands to her full height she stops their fight and hands her weapon to her daughter. "Is it a secure line?"

"Yes." The servant steps aside for Talia and then follows behind her.

She steps into to the darkness with a single monitor light in the room.

Talia speaks first, "I grow weary of your excuses Netz. Make sure, the meta-bomb program stays on schedule."

"I endeavor to make your dreams a reality."

"As well you should. But any further disruptions and you will find yourself Expendable, understood?"

"You have my word there will be no further complications Talia."

"I'll have more than your word, Netz. I'll have your head."

"End Transmission." There is a short _click_ and the screen goes dark.

Talia trails the corridor for her daughter, "So the wild stallion took off in a blur of speed and… Darissa?" Talia continues her story as she walks out of the room. "Where are you Darissa?"

Darcie had gotten bored waiting for her mother to finish talking with the stranger and decided to find out what was in that chest in front of the bed. She tugs at the lock before it pops open. Eager She she pushes the chest open and stairs at the dark mask like cape.

She hears her mother's voice call for her and she answered "Here mama."

Talia walks into her bedchamber and sees her daughter on the bed wearing a familiar dark cowl"Look I'm a bat!"

At the sight of her daughter wearing the cowl on her bed she laughs and comes up to your daughter"You are more than the bat, my love." Talia picks up Darcie from the bed.

"You are Darissa, you are the future."

Walking out of the room Talia places her daughter on the ground and leads her to circular corridor. The floor is a model of the earth with all its color and vastness.

Darcie is still in a very curious mood so she continues her questions,"Mama why is my name Darcie?"

"Your name Darissa comes from the Persian word Queen, and ruling this world is what you will do as the Al Ghul dynasty takes shape."

"A new age is dawning, and the people will see once again that giants walk among them, giants that are destined to carry out a divine mission."

"Together we will build an everlasting kingdom"

"After you have dominance of the world you will control it- posses it. And I will show you how."

 _"There is only one way to rule the world, my darling daughter, and that is to understand the many facts of art in life."_

She takes on every beast of every land and takes their heads as trophies. She has taken on successfully nature's greatest warriors.

She thinks that's all she will need to defeat her mother, it's not. She is flat on her back wiped out by her mother's staff, "Happy Birthday Darissa, you loose."

 _"You will immerse yourself in each and every subject and I expect nothing but complete Mastery over all of them."_

She learns how to read music, perfects every instrument she picks up. She learns from her new teachers everything they know in technique and form.

Her body is under her complete control. She has balance a delicate touch when holding an instrument an iron fist that breaks ten boards when fighting an enemy. She thought it was enough, taking up the same weapon as her mother she fought. She lost. Her cheek was pressed to ground, her nunchuck had flown out of her grip and landed on the other side of the room, Talia stood above her shadow looming over her "Happy Birthday my Daughter, you loose."

 _"You will come to understand that there is nothing your body and mind can't do when they work in tandem."_

She needed to know more -everything.

This life or death filter in her mind forced her to fight until her opponent was dead.

Taking up art detail became everything. Understanding the important facts of life She learned about every Scientific branch that sparked interest from Astronomy to bio-engineering to computer science.

It also marks the first year she is sent out on assassinations. Her sniper skills are exceptionally great, her perfected skill.

She feels daring enough to get close and personal as she attempts to defeat her mother, for her efforts she ends up with a short blade at her throat and her mother at her back, "Happy Birthday Darissa, you loose."

The year of blood slowly started creeping up on her and she barely had her training done. She asked her mother to push up her time table, doubling her daily lessons and taking on more missions to have the field training and experience under her belt.

A few days ago Ra's asked to meet her and that was making her nervous.

From that day on all her missions where personally given to her by Ra's Al Ghoul.

At first he was cruel and unrelenting one impossible mission after another but as time went on she would return victorious.

After one particular mission her grandfather actually engaged her in a conversation it was surprising. He would give short anecdotes about Al Ghoul's history things that were not written on paper. He would show her great treasures in their possessions and how all of it would be hers to claim when she passed her final year of trials. Every day she was told she was meant for great things by Ra's by her mother her teachers. When the new year came her cape flared around her as she bowed to Ra's.

Bright green eyes glowed in the dim lighting of the fires. The drums beat thrummed around her again and again reverberating in her chest.

Back then the year would be her pride until she met her father and it became her deepest regret.

 _ **Now…..**_

"Mother." Darcie bows to her mother. While not outwardly expressing her emotions struggled to keep her face neutral as excitement bubbles to the surface of her regale calmness.

"Darissa," Her Mother acknowledged as she came forward to stand beside her.

Thalia stays silent for a few minutes simply looking at the multiple screens on the wall but a sharp look and Darissa knows its time. "Watch carefully my daughter. Tell me, can you find your father?" Talia places a hand on her shoulder,"Can you discern his features, his demeanor?" her mother asks.

"The way he carries himself, his attitude and actions are very telling."

Darissa just hums in concentration looking from monitor to monitor until stopping at one of a tall man with a charming smile talking to a woman.

She has his jaw and cheekbones his hair color and eye shape. "There that's him mother" she points at the screen with absolute certainty.

A pleased smile forms on Talia's face. "Yes my daughter now prepare to meet your father face to face."

"My manbats have subdued him. Make ready Darissa. We'll be arriving in the bowels of London shortly."

"Yes Mother" Darcie says absently still transfixed on the image of her father. That is the man that is responsible for her existence, the great mystery of her life. Finally she will know her father. She watches her father evade the man bats and escape before returning in his bat costume. She admires his valiant effort to escape capture, before looking away. No more stories no more screens, she wants to see him in person.

The manbats dragged her father to kneel before her mother.

"I've allowed you to evade your responsibilities, my beloved."

"She has been Trained not only by me, but the best masters of the league of assassins along with other special… teachers. But the child is growing beyond even my control" Patience escaped her by every word waiting and wanting desperately to reveal herself. All she needed was the signal.

"Child?"Surprise filled his hard features.

"She needs your guiding hand at this juncture to become the perfect heir to the Al Ghoul Empire."

"Soon I intend to hold the whole world hostage to a new kind of terror.. But in the meantime, I leave you to get get acquainted. Don't allow her to cramp your style, my detective." Talia walks away.

Darissa's black hair sweeps her elbows as she walks toward her father. She knows her mother expects her to act a certain way but she is not prepared to get closer to her father.

She pulls her Katana to his neck. No time to be scared after all he is right here "Father. I imagined you taller."

* * *

 **AN: This will be following the comics from the pre-new 52 and the new 52**

 **I'm focusing solely on Damian's character as a female everyone else is the same gender.**

 **When it came to picking her name there were several that made the list but a lot of them ended up not fitting well as the meaning behind the names fell short of what Damian's name meant, eventually I settled on Darissa with the short version of her name being Darcie meaning "Queen" in Persian in tribute of character's birth location.**

 **After the first arch the story will break off from cannon but follow the same story arcs with a few personal ones thrown in here and there.**

 **Update: So I don't have beta reader and I try my best to go over the chapters and fix stuff so hears** **for round one!**


	6. Family and Family Interest Part 2

"Timothy Drake you have piqued my interest you have shown to be cunning and fierce adversary and have proven to me that you would be a worthy husband to my granddaughter my heir." He extends his large callus hand out to a tied up Darissa. Red in the face with anger and embarrassment she glares at her Grandfather. She tries to voice her angered opinion but is currently gagged. While struggling futilely she settles for just glaring at Drake's face hoping it magically explodes or bursts into flames and covers the floor with ashes. Ashes that -and this are getting too dark. She still glares at him though. Drake who is not gagged but is still tied up and being held down on his knees by two guards wants to know what the hell did Ra's just say? "What! That's technically my sister you're talking about, and she's ten!"

Ra's just gives an impassive look "Age is but a number boy. After all what will it matter when immortality is in the palm of your hands?" He waves off the guards that hold Tim to send him to a room. As he is being dragged out Ra's tells Tim his chilling plans for this evening. "You will be wed to Darissa by tonight thus decrees the demon's head!" The doors shut on that final remark and for once in his life Tim Drake is contemplating suicide to get out of the situation. Somewhere in the back of his mind he worries about Darissa.

Back in the main room with Ra's and Darissa another two guards have placed her in front of her grandfather one of them removed the gag and the first thing that comes out of her mouth, "How dare you. My father will come and destroy you for this!" her voice raising to match her ire.

Ra's smirks at her, "My dear girl did you think that I did not have a plan for you should you not cooperate." He leans down to make eye contact "If you fail to collaborate Tim Drake will become my new vessel and for that I need to kill him will you be willing to take that blame once your father comes for you and the boy?" She is silent. "So I expect you to be on your best behavior." He looks away from her in dismissal. Release my granddaughter she is of no threat."

The guards cut the rope of her hands and feet glaring for a final moment before rising to her feet. Her hair falls to the front hiding her face as she bows her right hand in a tight fist over her heart.

"Yes grandfather." She grounds out. She stands tall once more hand falling to her side eyes down awaiting her next command like her mother taught her to act in the presence of her grandfather. "Come I will show you your room." Walking calmly out of the room and into the expansive hallway Delaine followed behind him with regale grace of a dancer contrasting with the features of her face, twisted with disdain, and vexation for the situation.

Ra's led her through the different corridors eventually stopping at two identical bronze doors he opened them and made a welcoming gesture "This shall be your room for the moment should you need anything else there are servants awaiting your requests."

"Your gifts are most generous." She spits out finally.

""Very well I will leave you then to make your preparations for your wedding a servant will come and retrieve you when lunch will be served, Fare well," and with a flourish of his cape he turns and leaves closing the doors behind him.

With an indignant huff she turns away from the doors and inspects the room.

The room is not the basic soldier housing that she is use to with her grandfather, as she would never stay long enough for a proper room is the excuse she would tell herself. The entire room lined with gold and warm colors. Patterns of spirals and repeated symmetrical arches follow every column and passageway. There are elegant statues at every corner all identical to the other. The carpet is no less grand with the pattern flowing naturally with the walls. There are two glass tables one for the cabriole and camel back couches. At the furthest end of the room there is a raised level where the actual bedroom is. The bed was not overly stylish but fit nicely with the aesthetic of the room. Despite all the color and shine coming from the entire room the one thing that stood out like a soiled parchment.

Her wedding dress.

It most certainly looks worthy of Ra's heir but it's the one thing that gives her contempt above all. She is worthy of being an Al Ghoul has proven She master all do all than why does she have to chain herself to another? Does he think she cannot do this alone? Is it because he can't trust a woman with his legacy? The desperation to escape shoves aside all other emotions that she dares think if there is anything she could do to prove to her Grandfather she does not need to be married to carry out her duty she would. But she remembers briefly what it felt like to watch her father interact with those unworthy lot and think what is it like for someone to care? She doubts she will ever know she exists for the benefit of her mother to further the Al Ghoul's.

It's her responsibility.

Mother said that her Father could keep her safe from her Grandfather but to ensure that Drake must stay alive.

With a sigh she figures out her game plan. "Well, there are guards outside my door and window, and while I could take them out easily I would be unable to locate Drake before Grandfather is informed of my escape, and then be completely overwhelmed by the rest of the league." A resigned frustrated huff leaves her lips, so the only thing left is for her to play along to the whims of her Grandfather until father comes, and hopefully it will be soon.

She sighs might as well prepare her.

* * *

When noon came around a guard came and escorted Tim to a dining room.

Almost all the corridors they walked look the same until Tim passed by what looked like the center of all the hallways quickly counting about four other corridors that also must have corridors branching off as well. The servant walked toward the second corridor he noted. When they reached a corridor with the large arching doors were open he was a long redwood dining table.

Ra's was already at the head of the table. Darissa was also seated to the right. She briefly looked him up and down taking in his appearance then looked away completely never once making eye contact. Odd, she didn't even look angry. "Ah Timothy glad you joined us, please sit." Ra's gestured toward the seat on his left. Giving up trying to analyze Darissa's strange behavior or lack thereof he took a seat. "Now please enjoy this meal" Ra's claps his hands signaling the servers that bring out dish after dish, some foods where familiar while some foods he didn't recognize at all. A plate was placed in front of him. They sat in silence everyone at the table refusing to be the first to take a bite. Until Darissa's eyes narrowed and lips pursed she sourly picked up the fork and stabbed what looked like pork and tearing off a piece and chewing excessively.

"Granddaughter I would like to make a request from you." Ra's says after a few bites of food in silence. Delaine looks up from her plait and briefly flashes a look of irritation but quickly hides it "Yes grandfather, what do you require of me" her tone neutral. "My dear it has been a long time since I have seen you dance would you perform a dance after lunch if it does not take too much of your time." Ra's words sound something arcane to familial Tim looks up from his plate in disbelief, he thought the only thing she knew was how to kill "You know how to dance?" Darissa glancing at him for a brief moment then opened her mouth to probably say something insulting but Ra's beats her to it "Indeed she does and quite beautifully if I do say so myself. It truly is a sight to behold." Darissa returned her full attention to Ra's.

Tim looks at Darissa as her features softened "For you grandfather of course." She pauses for a moment and hesitates before adding "I will need a few minutes to dress properly."

"Oh yes of course I will have someone set out the proper attire and anything else you would need," Ra's offers. "You have my gratitude Grandfather." She replies and then continued eating.

"Tell me Darissa what have you done as of late? Your mother kept you away for quite some time." Her utensil clanks on her plate and she is silent for a moment.

"Yes she did," she clears her throat looking nervous. "My mother had me in regenerative stasis after my first encounter with Father the boat exploded and my body took substantial damage that required extensive amount of time in stasis. After my mother sent me on a couple of missions to get myself back in shape I'm perfectly fine now."

Tim had paused listening to her explanation of what had happened. He had read the report that batman had made when they first encountered and to hear her talking about herself as if she was some machine with replaceable parts, was nauseating. As Robin he's supposed to protect people from this kind of life yet a part of him didn't want to see her as a victim because she had nearly killed him while demanding to take his place at Batman's side.

But she is also Bruce's biological daughter, to know that she enjoys something other than killing like he had assumed. He can imagine what kind of life she lived. What kind of life is that? Not a happy one and she is living proof of just how toxic this family is. One moment there about to kill each other then they have some kind of family love their expressing. Going from one extreme to the other it's their take on emotional agility.

He knew that even if he hated her for nearly killing him he could not hold her as the sole person responsible for her actions. He might not like her that much but no one deserves this, especially not a child. When B comes she would not be coming back to this life ever again not if he has any say in the matter, and he will. After that no one spoke. When everyone finished their food Ra's dismissed Darissa to get ready to perform and that left him alone with Ra's. "Come she will perform in the Cerulean room we shall get comfortable there while we wait"

The room they enter is pretty large it practically shines with gold on the walls and on the decorations there are silk pillows on the couches and there are crystal lamps the color theme seems to match the name of the room with the color blue dominating the color scheme. Ra's sits down on one of the large couches and Tim decides to take a seat on the chair next to the couch. A maid comes out of nowhere and offers drinks he hesitantly takes one, feeling the sharp gaze of Ra's following his movements. Ra's also takes a drink from the servant when another servant leaves a tray of fruit for him and a second for Ra's. All of the sudden the lights dim and the center of the room are lit up even more.

Darissa entered the room and some type of drum in her hand. She goes toward the center of the room stopping only once at the edge of the light to place her drum there then falls into what looks like a tense uncomfortable position, looking like all her muscles tensed to hold a single position with her arm extended upwards palm open and fingers splayed out like a fan and her right foot only touching the floor with the tips of her feet. Music starts playing from a band towards the back of the room that he hadn't noticed before. The drum beat dominates the dance, and Darissa dominates the music.

The song she chose was relatively simple called Adara Din. As she prepared for the dance to start she noted the gleam of the Arabian sword she requested and while she knew better than to try and pull something she did want to push some buttons and playing with a sharp sword seemed like a good idea to her. Originally she was going to do a drum solo, that is now only part of her 'show' to spite her grandfather. This definitely will remind him who she is and she is deadly.

* * *

 **A.N.: Alright a lot of stuff to say about this chapter- First the Time and place Darissa leaves her mother from the UK to Gotham early morning arrived at Gotham around noon. Captured by Ra's and sent on a flight somewhere in Turkey taking up the rest of the day and night waking up in the morning.**

 **There is a reason why batman hasn't shown up to rescue them just yet which will be explained in the next chapter.**

 **Next is the characters I'm not sure I captured Ra's very well but Talia's character goes from one extreme to the other when it comes to Damian one moment willing to move heaven and earth to save or avenge him and the next cutting all ties demanding his head be brought to her on a silver platter. This chapter laid down a lot of the issues that Darissa's character will have as a direct consequence of how she was raised.**

 **Darissa is the female version of Damian but in the comics they have completely done away with all the other talents that Damian had for example he actually loves playing violin but none of that shows up any more and I wanted Darissa to have something unique that she loved as well.**

 **The song referenced is Adar Din the Drum Solo and the sword is used as a prop are belly dance songs. This will be brought up again and be explained later.**

 **I really hope I did Tim Drake justice seeing as he is Robin for now in this story right before he goes on to become his own persona as Red robin he has this internal tug of war with being mature and being vindictive.**

 **On to the marriage thing it does not mean FemDami/Tim ship its purpose is to show Ra's character and his values that while he has a daughter and a granddaughter to take over both of whom are qualified to take his place, he believes that it would be too difficult for either of them to do it by themselves.**

 **Now for some recommended Songs: Hold on by Limp Bizkit, Sacrifice by Disturbed, Bleed it out by Linkin Park.**

 **Comment, and Follow for more.**

 **~Alycat**


	7. Family and Family Interest Part 3

Family Interest Part 3 Revised

Batman kneels on a cement boulder that had once been a roof to an apartment complex.

He looked out at the devastated portion of the city. Most of the area affected was evacuated already. Wonder Woman was carrying an elder lady to the paramedics, and Superman was moving large pieces of debris from the main roads for emergency services. When things were finally winding down from the earthquake, a call from Alfred came on the comm.

"Alfred what's going on right now?"

"Sir Ra's is back from the dead. Your daughter Darissa came to the manor and attempted to inform Master Timothy but they ended up tussling with each other."

Batman makes a grunt that Alfred interprets as concern.

"Master Tim was not injured."

"Darissa then sought me out instead, and I'd nearly fallen, with my old age my reaction is not as it used to be, and she attempted to catch me. Unfortunately Master Tim thought that Darissa was attacking me and while they fought Ra's men used knock out gas. Both Master Tim and Miss Darissa where taken."

Alfred hesitates, "It's been four hours since then."

Bruce was not expecting to hear that Ra's return so soon, what he was expecting was his daughter showing up sometime soon, both appearing genuinely surprised him. There had to have been a reason she had come to them with a warning, was it a trap? Or did she have insight on whatever plan that Ra's was conducting and wanted to share it with them to stop it? Whatever the case is he had already jumped in the batmobile heading toward Gotham.

"Alfred what's going on right now?"

"Sir you will need more backup, I've called in Nightwing. Tracking Ra's location won't be a problem. It seems that he wants you to follow as he left a note for his destination. Miss Gordon has provided satellite imagery; I believe it is one of the largest League base we have seen yet."

Bruce frowns why would Ra's broadcast his location like that? In any case he has to get Tim back but he is going to need more back up that's for sure. It took him about an hour to get to the cave from metropolis.

When the cards all fold

Batman and Nightwing landed in a small clearing that laid in a blind spot to the base's entrance.

"Umm Bruce you said this was a huge base and that there would be a lot of ninjas but there's no one guarding the entrances." Nightwing points out the lack of people in the general view of the temple.

"They're ready for us and we have no other choice but to enter. I want radio silence when we open the doors we smoke bomb and take out any enemies then move forward splitting up," He takes out 3 black pearls holding them with his fingertips.

"Find Tim if you find Ra's does not engage." With that they moved toward the doors the pushed them open and dropped a few smoke bombs.

The smoke cleared but there were no enemies in the area.

A servant walked through one of the intercepting halls. She turns to look at them and gives a surprised look, "Oh you have come earlier than expected. Please enter we are preparing for the ceremony."

Batman growls raising his shoulders; he takes one heavy step forward, "Where is Tim Drake and Darissa?" he growls out.

The servant only nods her head slowly in understanding, "The Demon's daughter is being prepared for the ceremony."

She bows extending her arm, "Sir, please cooperate so we may prepare you and your guest for the wedding we are running behind as it is."

Batman and Nightwing get into a defensive poster.

She raises her head, narrows her eyes at them.

The servant makes an exasperated sigh, "Very well we must force you to cooperate then."

Nightwing and Batman stumble at the servant's feet, then fall over paralyzed. More servants come out of the hall ways and drag them away, as the first servant barks put orders in Arabic; both vigilantes being dragged in the same direction.

Batman is being carried between two beefed up ninjas with another servant leading the way to a room. She opens the door and gestures to them inside. He is dumped on a daybed. A group of servants come up to him and strip him of his Batman regalia down to his boxers.

He is grabbed once more and dragged toward a bath and dumped in the hot water. For a moment he thought he would go under but a servant held him above water by his shoulders. The others held cloths and sponges and scrubbed him thoroughly. They went through great pains to clean him, taking close to an hour before pulling him out of the now cold water.

He was dried then pulled back into the first room with the daybed where they shaved his beard and body, cut his nails, cut his hair, and finally got around to dressing him.

It took them around three hours to complete their tasks and he has done absolutely nothing but been used like a doll for these people. He felt angry, but what was bubbling to the surface was worry, worry for his children who have probably in the same situation as his.

When he was starting to get sensation in his fingers and toes he was chained to heavily stylized cuffs for his hands and feet He was dragged out of the room once the servants stepped away and signaled the servant that led to this room that they had finished.

Darissa's vow

There is this rancid smell of the rot that prickles at her nose making it twitch uncomfortably- the stench of the Lazarus pit. She narrows her glare to the ground; the hand on her shoulder tenses her body the hand callus long wrinkly skin. He must be very confident that his plan will succeed to expose himself in such a weak body and mind. The loose grip reminds her of how simple it was to underestimate him. The sharp nails digging in to her flesh remind her of how methodical and precise that comes from centuries of life. But she also feels the blade pressing into her forearm of what her mother expects. Mother is always right. She allows her emotions to surface and influence her action.

What is one more dip to him in the Lazarus pit?

She the blade slip down her sleeve lets it brush the palm of her hand before griping at the leather hilt.

She flicks her wrist and stabbing his thigh, digging her heel into the floor. Shoving and twisting the blade feeling the tip snap when it scrapes at the bone.

A sharp enraged cry comes from her grandfather as his body shakes. He takes a step back and pulls his sword ready to plunge it into her back face snarling with vengeance. Darissa attempts to wretch the blade out of his leg but abandons it for safety.

She throws herself to the side and runs towards the exit. She knows she cannot defeat her grandfather but there are plenty of enemies for her to slaughter.

Her father will need a clear exit. Rushing into the hallway she's hoarded by ninjas. She leaps over the charging ninja in front and kicks the one behind the first on the left temple, and pitches backwards lands elbowing the first one the back where he topples over on his stomach and his sword clattering on the floor.

Smug she picks up the sword and plunges it into the ninjas back before ripping it out spraying blood over her clothes and hair. She flips the blade turning to the second ninja on the floor and stabs him in the chest. The oncoming group throws multiple knives at her. She shifts away from the airborne knives to her shoulder and legs before grabbing one from the air and throwing it back right into the ninja's eye socket. She runs over to her next target sliding underneath them and slicing into the back of the leg and the artery. She impales the last hindrance onto the door.

She abandons the blade at the exit with the dead ninja and throws herself at the nearest enemy in the hallway wrapping her small legs around their neck she twists the head snapping their neck.

Gravity pulls her and the body to the floor, where she lands on her back. She quickly kicks the body off of herself.

Taking the sword from the dead ninja and blocks the attack from another two ninjas but a third attack that slices into her arm.

A terrifying screech tears from her lips, rage consumes her shutting down everything else. Her actions become methodical, cyclical but never repetitive.

Her heart beat thumbs beneath the chaos.

She'd nearly reached her third hallway, she almost managed to slash open another with a final strike, but was yanked backwards away from the enemy.

"Who dares?" She hisses like a feral cat squirming in her captors hold.

Dropped on her feet and immediately pivots.

He dares.

"How dare you his life is mine to take!" She thrust her swords menacingly.

"Not today Darcie," Nightwing cheerfully declares.

"And who are you to stop me?" Darissa grips tighter at the handle. Who dares even call her that?

"I'm your older brother and it's my job to -"

"You are nothing to me Nightwing," she interrupts. "And I would sooner count all the demons in hell before you would be worthy my presence.

Nightwing merely smiles not rising to the bate and tells her, "Batman needs you to incapacitate not kill, can you do that?"

"Tt. I cannot allow their continued existence. It is my duty to 'thin the herd,' Darissa drawls.

She tries 2 / an artery in the arm the nearest enemy before she can raise her blade afoot comes down making a sharp clank as it hits the marble floor, missing her target.

An elbow to the temple just orients the ninja before a heavy fist to the face takes the ninja out of the way. Nightwing continues to block her from finishing the job keeping the pace quick and constant never give me a chance to go back to an enemy.

That is until a handful of ninjas group together at the entrance.

It quickly becomes the necessary distraction for her to carry out her punishment to a few but not enough to curve her bloodlust.

Unfortunately her father and the other finally caught up and when they finally escaped to the outside there was no resistance by the league, not even a single bird flying over their heads.

She hates meeting with her grandfather he always demands the most pain syncing tasks and frankly she's angry she was lied to again.

At least mother had the foresight to bring attention your grandfather's plan to father or she would have a serious midlife crisis.

She couldn't even fathom the possibility of you being changed that's fine whistle out of worthless bone and flesh. Or she might have had two killed him before the wedding sand ceremony was over no definitely before that.

Following the lead of our father there's a brief moment of confusion on their Direction before they reach a clearing and enter a black stealth plane. The empty field was occasionally used as a grave site though she thought her father knew about that.

* * *

 **AN:**

 **I'll update soon she said, I have the next chapter ready she said. HAH! I suck at this but hey better late than never I guess.**

 **Anyways a couple of plot points in this chapter that without context will seem like plot holes.**

 **The first one Ra's asked his** **scientist** **to create an aromatic or a scentless gas that** **paralyzes only attacking the skeletal** **muscles. It does not affect those that have been given the** **antidote** **like Tim and Darissa when they where being transported to that location. The only problem with the gas is that it only works once before someone becomes** **immune** **to it and as another down side it only works for a couple hours. Ra's decides to use it on Batman and Nightwing even if all the kinks haven't been worked out.**

 **The other is where they landed one he was using a stealth plain and another the spot was a dead zone and a blind spot.**

 **I have most of the next chapter** **written** **out but I don't have the rest of this story arch written out or planed. I have some ideas on what I'm going to do but it really depends I haven't given up on this story. as I have other chapters already written out of order but not close enough to connect them in one** **cohesive story. I might do some filler chapters. In any case DC is kinda** **disappointing** **me with the redo of the Teen Titans, the whole who's the daddy with Deathstroke v. Batman, what they did to Jon, and The BatCat wedding being a total flake. Frankly I'm just going to ignore it.**

 **Anyway on a happier note I found the perfect song/lullaby that defines Damian and Talia's relationship its called M** **ordred's lullaby by Heather Dale. Other songs Hold On by Limp Bizket, Norman from Fury, White Rose by Heather Dale.**

 **Hopefully Soon**

 **~Alycat**


	8. Idle Away Time Prelude

Darissa watched from her perch on the med cott, the butler fussing over Drake and him.

She tugs at the wrist wrap- Hmph. No give, the butler at least know how to decently wrap.

A water bottle is given to her by the butler. She drinks feeling the cool liquid slislip through her chapped lips.

She watches his black hair sway from the cave breeze, it's the color of soot.

His eyes are deep blue, with pale frost glittering across the outer edges.

His features are not what set her on edge no its not what she distrusts.

He smile.

It had to be false! For no one she had ever encountered smiled for that long or ever for that matter. From the moment she began observing him, his lips never faltered never fell.

No one she had ever meet could express such visible satisfaction.

So why bother smiling when there is nothing to smile about?

And there is never anything to smile about.

Her nose twitched,and her eyebrows dipped at the irrational irritation.

She cannot for the death of her understand this, him!

He stares at her with open amusement, befor laughing hysterically.

Her hand, out of a necessary habbit, flexes grasping at an imaginary blade.

He unwraps his arms from his stomach and nearly kneeling over, breathless and giggling indiscriminately.

Darissa, not in the least invested, crosses her arms and looks away from him, "Tt."

"Oh my god! Bruce she looks just like you!" Grayson says walking over to her still giggling lightly. He smiles down at her.

"Let me introduce myself properly," he smiles at her.

"Dick Grayson." He leans down, hand extended toward her.

She stairs so intently she neerly goes crossed eyed. She takes a breath preparing to put him in his place, but her eyes flicker to her father who glares in the warning.

No doubt remembering her reaction to Drake and his handshake.

Rolling her eyes, fine it's not like it's her job to disrupt things anymore.

"You may address me as Darissa."

"Hmm." He holds his chin in his hand dramatically, as if it takes his whole body to think.

"Doesn't that name mean princess?"

"Because I am one." She grows.

"That name sounds a bit harsh doesn't it? Too much arr" Dick comments.

"Oh! I know I'll just call you Darcie instead." He smiles proudly.

That is not her name!

Patience. Patience. Patience, patience, patience. Patience!

Has he not realized his very presence offends her?

Does she need to stab him?

"My mother and grandfather raised me to be the perfect heir. To take the world under my control and get rid of the garbage that is a human race, and if you don't step away from me you useless waste of space I will return you to the soil where you should have stayed."

She crushes the empty bottle in her hand.

This was going to be a lot harder than she thought.

"That is enough Darissa,"her father commands.

"Go upstairs eat dinner. Alfred will show you to your room. Tomorrow I'll tell you what you're going to do." Batman says dismissively.

Darissa's faced freezes before contorting into the dirtiest face he has seen thus far.

"What." The disbelief evident on her face, but absent from her voice.

"You're just going to leave me without any indications to my purpose here? What the hell am I supposed to do here?"

"You're going to lower your voice first."Batman growls out.

"You can't just leave me for later!"Refusing to be ignored, to be put off.

Mother wouldn't have let her act out, but she will demand every second of her father's attention.

"Your mother left you in my care, you'll do what I say because I say so."Batman responds.

"I won't and you can't force me."

"You're a child I'm the adult." He states like it has merit, "We will talk tomorrow"

"But." She's desperate.

"Tomorrow." He doesn't care.

"Fine." She'll get revenge.

Darissa walks up the stairs spoutting curses, Her tiny Palm being torn up by her sharp fingernails.

Her father is phenomenal or completely stubborn. She would have argued more but she was almost married off a couple hours ago and the betrayal of her grandfather is starting to fester. There where to many people she hated being around people.

She needs time alone.

Dick waits for Darissa to leave.

"Whoa. she has a temper for her size." Dick humors lightly.

"Hnn."

"Bruce you were pretty harsh too. We literally rescued her from a child marriage few hours ago! Who knows what kind of things you had to endure to brush that off so quickly."

"I know Dick." Bruce finally turns around looking away from the stairs to Dick.

"But she's dangerous. She nearly killed Tim."

Dick put the hand on Bruce's shoulder. "Don't worry he's fine, everyone's fine. Nobody died."

 _This time._ The thought fills the words unsaid.

Darissa is angry. Her hand streaks up her right arm leaving whit marks on her skin. she tries to relax but her mind refuses to calm.

 _She can't._

Pennywood walked into the living room,"Miss DarissaI was about to retrieve you for dinner."

Darissa hides her arm behind her back no one should know.

She nods her head and Pennyworth leads her out of the room.

She doesn't want to remember how weak she is to harm her own person when there is scum she can take it out on.

They turn left at the end of the hallway.

To inflict pain unto others is always more productive, besides it is unbecoming of a princess to have obvious tells ofl mental weakness.

They pass the kitchen and enter the dining room.

The next thing she knows she's being ushered into a seat and Pennyworth Retrieve the tray with her dinner.

He placed it beside her then put a plate of some kind of marinated chicken that smelled of over abuse of peppers that made her nose prickle.

There were what she assumed vegetables and only because of its green slop color; and finally added to the overwhelming dish there in the small corner was a strong urge to vomit right where she was because chunks of garlic were visible on the surface of the bread some of the juices of the other food had made the bottom crust soggy.

 _Is this a joke?_

Did anyone believe that she would try this pile of compost?

Her face contorted from the overwhelming smell alone.

The cooking oil on the chicken makes it shiny fake like rubber. she picks up the fork. The muscle tears but when she chews on the small piece it's like chewing the tendons of a beef steak only it shouldn't taste like that.

Her aggressive chewing, in attempt to finish quickly, allows the different juices of the meat to mix in her mouth and become disgusting.

She gently picks up the napkin and spits out the offense of food. on the table and grab the glass of water.

It did not taste right.

perhaps she should not have attempted Western food so quickly after just completing Several missions in nowhere. She didn't eat at lunch with her grandfather why did she try now?

In any case she has upset her new stomach . She can already feel the turmoil erupting in her stomach. she feels the bile rising to the top of her throat.

With her disgusting display nearly vomiting Mother herself would be disgusted.

She imagines mother sitting on the opposite side of the table just to the left of grandfathers openly displaying her disgust.

How could she lack the foresight that led to this?

Anger surges above any shame and disappointment.

she tosses the glass on the table. it doesn't shatter on impact but it cracks and fractures. the water spills everywhere and spread on the table mantle soaking everything.

It's not enough. She picks up the plate and throws it at the table the content spilling everywhere. the food staining where the water only soaked.

The servants comes rushing back in the room a worried crease on his forehead, just before he actually seeing what happen to the dinner table, " Miss Darissa is everything all right?"

Stands up from her chair allowing the legs to scrap against the wood floor.

It's not her fault.

"This food is disgusting! did you even serve me food? are you trying to poison me?" She shrieks.

This is his fault. how dare he attempt to sabotage her.

Mother would be disappointed, but certainly not disgusted.

She rushed out of the dining room, furious. Her heels digging into the carpet, until She reached the hallway. Away from criticizing eyes of the dining room.

She runs down the corridor, light steps on the old planks of the stairs.

The complete opposite of her tantrum in the dining room, she is silent desperate to get away.

She practically throws herself up the stairs and goes straight to her assigned room.

She delicately opens the door and goes inside, frantically she slams the door and locks it.

The room looks dark and impossibly vast. Her stomach roils with dissatisfaction. She goes to the door opposite from the bed.

She doesn't turn on the light.

Darissa grabs the glass next to the sink, and opens the faucet. She lets the water fill up the glass halfway before cutting off the water.

She rinses her mouth out twice before rinsing the glass and setting it back down with a shoft chink.

Stretching her arms over the counter she tries to push herself up it's too tall for her. She's too small.

In the mirror her reflection only barely shows her shoulders. Her eyes draw her in. The green a glow bright like ideresent rocks. The pigment unique like the glowing rocks from the core of the earth.

Her hair however is in a state of disarray. Fighting her way through her grandfather's ninjas left her neat hair in a tangled mess. Some places were matted by dry blood and there were knots everywhere.

She tried threading her hair with her fingers but was immediately stopped at the crown of her head by tangles. She sighed there's not going to be sleep tonight.

She comes to a problem, or really one of many.

She has nothing... well next to nothing.

She has her wedding dress and the clothes she's wearing now. She has her ninja garbs from early in the year but she's not that desperate, yet.

Her sum total of belongings are three sets of clothes, a hair pin, and one pair of foot wear.

She dumps out the duffel bag from her first visit, on the floor and adds a pair of socks and a hair comb to her criminally short list of personal items.

She starts from her eyebrows knitting together, and a downward turn of her lips. She feel something hot and moist build up in her eyes. She squeezes her eyes shut desperately.

It finally Dawns on her. She left everything behind. Her mother sent her away for an unknown amount of time. Who knows how long she will stay in Gotham.

She doesn't remember moving towards the bed she does remember slumping to the floor and leaning on the bed.

The Next Day

Pennyworth came to the door of the room. "Miss Darissa breakfast will be ready soon."

Silence meets his announcement.

"Miss Darissa?" He reached for the door knob just before the door abruptly opened.

"I am awake Pennyworth."

Alfred takes in the brushed dirty hair, under armor clothing, bare feet, and dark eyeshadows.

He peeks inside the room to confirm his theory.

The bed covers where completely untouched. The child never slept.

Breakfast was served around the Kitchen counter. Her face tinged green looking at their dishes. There were scrambled eggs that were glossy from the oil it made her gag.

To drink they had an orange juice that smelled so sweet and tangy that its artificial flavor could be tasted on her tongue.

Hot porcelain, aroma of oatmeal with a hint of cinnamon nothing overwhelming. Perfect. Her stomach lulls and calms.

She takes deep breaths, enjoying them calm in her stomach.She could almost relax.

There are eyes on her, her back straightens.

Irate green eyes meet, vibrant blue.

"Good Morning." Glimmering white teeth, a near perfect smile.

Her eyebrows knit in confusion, "There is nothing good about a moring. It's just a morning."

Dick laughs it off.

Grinning, he leans forward, "It's just a greeting, and speaking of a morning you are going to have a very busy one."

Darissa blinked owlishly at him, a frown with just the slightest jut of her bottom lip. He looked from Darissa to Bruce who also had the same look of tired irritation. Hah, like father like daughter.

Her father gave a tired sigh and took a long gulp of his coffee, he sets the mugg on the counter looking slightly more alive. "We realize that you don't have any belongings so today I'm sending you to buy everything your going to need. From the information I got from your Mother there is no way to tell how long you will be staying here."

He pauses watching Darissa who is staring intently.

She tilted her head slightly, "Yes, mother believed you were the only one capable of stopping grandfather, she also believes that you could do a better job at 'protecting' me should grandfather seek revenge."

Darissa pauses watching her father's reaction.

"I'm going to get the process going for your legal documentation so I'm giving Dick a list of things you need to get and you can get anything else only with Dick's approval. Alfred will take you there and bring you back. You will be with Dick, Alfred or Stephanie at all times."

Stern eyes, glare at her, "I need to know that you won't kill anyone hurt anyone or attract attention to yourself."

"If you can't do this we can get everything by mail over the course of a month even though you need some of these things we'll figure something out until then."

"I would rather get this all done today but if I can't trust you then we can go with the other plan."

Are those her only options?

Brown is a non issue. Grayson irritates her but she can tolerate him if it's her father's wish.

She leans back on to her chair staring down at her empty bowl.

This feels like a test, but from the the mistrust radiating from him she doesn't believe him. No matter what response she gives it won't matter.

And that made her frown a little. She's not even getting a chance, it ddoesn't matter how she responds.

"Tt." She looks away to hide the hurt in her eyes,"I have no reason to protest." _For now._

She won't be the cause of any problems, but that is not the same as reacting to a threat.

"Hnn." Bruce sets down his fork and knife. "Fine, you're going to the mall in twenty minutes. Get ready."

Darissa raises an eyebrow at her father, dramatically she puts her spoon down.

Ready.

Except she doesn't want to stay here and wait.

She stands up and walks to 'her' room.

Underneath the sink she pulls out a disposable toothbrush and a small tube of toothpaste. She brushes her teeth, never making eye contact with her eyes in the mirror.

She doesn't want to see what she can feel. It scares her how desperately she wants her father to believe in her.

Mother constantly stated how Darissa reminded her of father, yet she was never allowed to know him personally.

She would praise Father as a warrior, a noble man, a genius, a King, the pinnacle of humanity.

She wanted to know.

She needed to know.

And it was after her mother said, "everything worth having is hard fought."

That means her mother's wish is to earn her father's trust. Mother expects her to learn from him.

Mother believes in her when she had to prove to everyone else she was worthy of anything.

And she knows exactly what mother would say to her, "There are no easy victories in life Darissa, everything worth having is hard fought."

She leaves the room, checking the digital clock before leaving to the entrance, twelve minutes left.

Things will be fine.

 **AN: When I said I would be updating soon I meant I won't update until four months later...I'm so sorry. I've literally had this chapter ready since forever I just got so wrapped up in this next arch which is going to be four chapters not three even though its a trip to the mall an Al Ghoul and Waynes are in the mix- trouble is ready for them. Some cultural shock is in order.** **In anycase I still feel really guilty because its such a short chapter but I don't want to make any promises, just know that this hasn't been abandoned, I'm not dead, and the world hasn't ended yet.** **Until next time.** ** _Sneak peak._** ** _Vivid,Vivid._** ** _Bright._** ** _Like a diamond cut to make the rainbow._** ** _What sorcery made this two dimensional screen so iluminesent?_** ** _She turned her eyes expanding in avid attention, attempting to catch every detail._** ** _it was an advertisement on a screen this handsome woman. the woman's head was turned elegantly- royalty like grace._** ** _the image captured every curve every shadow cast upon her close every shade of color could be seen._** ** _If she could just reach out her hand she would feel the diaphanous texture of the gown. Everthing a painting couldn't match; the perfect image captured in a single second._** ** _"Darissa?"_** ** _The spell broke in the world came back into focus._** ** _Grayson had called her name._**


	9. Idle Away Time Part 1

**At the Mall..**

Vivid, vivid and bright -like a diamond cut to make the rainbow. What sorcery made this two dimensional screen so luminescent? She turned her eyes expanding in avid attention, attempting to catch every detail.

It was an advertisement on a screen this handsome woman. The woman's head was turned elegantly, royalty like grace. The image captured every curve every shadow cast upon her close every shade of color could be seen. If she could just reach out her hand she would feel the diaphanous texture of the gown. Everything a painting couldn't match -the perfect image captured in a single second.

"Darissa?"

The spell broke in the world came back into had called her name.

She was in America.

She was in American mall.

She stopped to look at an advertisement?

She stopped to look at an advertisement. Someone could have killed her for that! She would have killed someone for that. Except she was not, and for once she felt relieved at having hundreds of kilometers between her and her mother.

Darissa, unbeknownst to her, she had been projecting all kinds of emotions, not in an obvious way but for the vigilantes she might as well write a soliloquy. Her eyes slightly widened, her feet shifted slightly in the direction of the ad. Her jaw that she had been slightly grinding on had slacked, her scowl slipped to neutral. Her legs that were taking quick strides had slowed and she was casually shifting her weight from leg to leg almost like she wants to stop all together but baser instincts commanded her body forward.

Dick noticed first and grinned before slowing down his steps. That caught Tim's attention, confused at first on why they were slowing down but a glance at what Dick was looking at had him preparing for some petty revenge. So what if the brat might kill someone - he, Bruce shouldn't have trusted her in the first place. But another glance at Dick's warning glint, made Tim pause. That gave Dick the chance to take precautionary measures.

"Darissa?"

Except he wasn't prepared for her reaction, Darissa in an instant changed her demeanor from her look of awe- as much as a look of awe could be seen on the child assassin, to a new level of intensity. Her steps increased in speed nearly soundless, her carefully neutral face to an untapped fury, he wouldn't be surprised if she chipped a tooth the way her jaw clanked and grinded at her teeth. She didn't need words her heart gave her away, or at least that's how Dick is putting it.

Darissa wanted to get away from them; she would have if her father's rules were not echoing in her head. She walks into the nearest store. She does not know how this works at all. As she stares at the pots and pans and knives and cutting boards, she realizes she is not in the correct location.

"Darissa!" A heavy hand grips her shoulder, "are you trying to butter me up?" Grayson teases gently but his hard stare shows his lack of actual humor. Darissa realizes she has been staring blankly at a set of butter knives. He must have thought that she was going to grab them and start stabbing people left and right and center - and that sounds really appealing. She could release some stress and maybe even get rid of the headache that has been following her! Or she could get through this without any incidents lower their guard and kill them all later! So many long term goals, what happened to her mundane basic assassin training life? Now she is stuck here with peasants that are next to useless. Regardless she cannot afford to cause a scene now, with a heavy sigh and an over dramatic eye roll she walks away from the knife's section and follows the conveniently large sign that says room decor with an arrow pointing deeper into the store.

The first isle Darissa walked down she merely looked at everything the cheap plastic objects wrapped in plastic, isle after isle of assorted decorations. Her eyes flicking from left to right never really pausing.

"So first thing first we need to get you a new bed." Dick reads off from the list Bruce gave him. He looks around at the signs, "We need to go that way!" He point in the direction of the sign that says 'Room Furniture' in bold.

Darissa trails ahead pretending there is nothing and no one around her. She hates this, she hates her father, she hates grandfather, and she hates these people, Grayson, Drake, the world people.

Their staring at her, why? She can't muster the brain power to imagine a gruesome death for them at the moment. She attempts to tune out Grayson's voice; maybe she can imagine his death to have some semblance of quiet. She can almost be grateful that they do not attempt to conversations with her, not after the disastrous attempt on their way to this squalid place. Her night of solitude was not nearly enough for her to be patient. She wanted to stay in the shadows away from sight, away from these strangers. She can't help but feel alone despite herself. She can sense her emotions, strong and demanding crowding her thoughts, the urge to hide likes a child overwhelming. Their staring at her again, why?

They had been going in the same direction or at least they had been until she reached another large sign pointing to an escalator down stairs. They had been there about ten minutes and she has already tired of this.

Down the escalator she felt a semblance of peace the more distance she had from the loud and boisterous group. The more their voices faded the more her mind calmed. The moment lasted as long as it took to change from one sword to the next; weighing it in the hand, the balance, the grip, the movement of the wrist before heading into battle once more. And then she stepped off the escalator and the tension returned to her shoulders. She hates this.

The section for beds came up rather quickly after, "All right, we found the bed section!" Dick cheers.

"Did you now?" Drake drawls.

"Okay, but we're here anyways." Grayson smoothly placates. "So what kind of bed do you want Darissa?"

What kind of bed does she want? She stares at him frozen, racing for an answer only for her mind to draw blank - her knowledge of beds is very inadequate. Grayson waits patiently expectantly for her answer but she doesn't know. "I want that one." She points to a random bed to her left.

The bed a king sized, thick foam mattress that allows a person to sink into the surface of the bed. The height of the mattress is an impressive five and a half inches - thirteen point ninety five centimeters, most importantly Darissa couldn't possibly be visible on the impossibly large bed. Truly, it was fit for a king - or a princess.

"Eh?" Drake's eyebrow curves up, skeptical, but then snorts, "Typical Spoiled Brat" He mutters.

"Are you sure you want this one, we can look at other stores and there's plenty of other choices here." Dick asks quickly.

"No. I want this one!" Her cheeks flush, embarrassed from her brash decision, but it's too late to choose something else. She's too stubborn to say anything now. She can't afford to show indecisiveness.

"Well if you're sure about it," Grayson shrugs.

"Then there's only one thing left to do!" Dick scoops Darissa in a tight hug. Taking powerful strides toward the bed he jumps high in the air, twisting his body so that both land on their back. When they're just above the bed he lets go of Darissa.

She flops on the bed limply, how did he?

Dick quickly rolls of the bed, after a good laugh, he steps away from the angry child.

Shock loses to Rage the instant it tries to take over, Darissa leaps off the on the opposite side of Dick.

Her want for vengeance is stronger than her need to follow Batman's rules. She doesn't have a weapon but she has spent a long time killing, all her life, all her 10 years of life for that purpose, vengeance is hers!

"I'm going to kill you now."

She leaps onto the mattress; throwing herself forward using the edge of the bed she propels herself high enough to grab hold of his ink black hair, yanking his head into a nose dive right into her awaiting knee. Dick however does not go face first but instead to bottom of his jaw meet her knee joint.

The hit while landing missed its mark, Dick felt pain it was not hard enough to bruise much. Her lunges for the neck but Drake yanked her backwards. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Me? No! What the hell is wrong with him?" Darissa shouts back.

"How dare he and how dare you!" She breaks away from Tim steppes closer to Dick.

Darissa's revenge will not be complete without blood drawn, her tiny fingers and sharp nails make a perfect substitute for a blade, and with her hand flat she thrusts her hand out cutting Grayson's cheek.

"Mark my words; I will have my revenge on you!" Darissa points dramatically at Dick.

"God, you're crazy!"

"Did you bring us here to die?" Tim shouts at Dick, "She's going to kill us!"

"Obviously" Dick calls sighing

"I can't tell if that's sarcastic or not." Tim adds apprehensive but no longer hysteric.

"No Timmy no one is going to die."

"Yet." Darissa tacks on, staring Tim down with a critical eye.

"Okay," Dick loudly calls out. He tucks away his phone before walking away from the information card by the bed, "Darissa I'm sorry I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable that are on me but we need to move on to the rest of your things."

The disbelief in Tim's face was evident, "are you serious? Dick she just tried to murder you and threatened to kill us both!"

"I'm not going to debate this she hasn't hurt anyone, and her reaction was justified, partly anyway but She technically hasn't broken any of Bruce's rules yet give her the benefit of the doubt but we're going to finish this list."

"Alright Darcie why don't you pick out some pillows and bed covers from those isles over there if you don't find anything you like we look at another store Okay?"

"Don't patronize me. I however want this list and dreadful day to end." Darissa wanders off ahead again, "and this dreadful company to end." She mumbles before disappearing down an aisle.

"Are you serious Dick? How can you trust her?"

"I don't Tim but I'm willing to give her a chance she's just a kid."

"A brainwashed assassin from birth." Tim rebukes.

"But still a kid."

"I don't think she can change."

"Come on Tim," Dick nudges him gently "that's not very robin like of you. I'm not telling to trust her but to give her a chance to change."

"Do you really believe that?" Tim asks uncertain of Dick's belief.

"Ask me again when this is done." Dick offers as a response.

"I don't trust her, but when it all goes wrong don't say I didn't tell you I told you so." Tim gives him a meaningful glance.

They fall into silence and follow after Darissa. They found her staring intently at a pillow it's a random throw pillow with a quote and a red print outline of a golden retriever.

WHERE I GO, DOG FOLLOWS.

WHERE I STOP, DOG SETTLES.

WHEN I AM LOST, DOG FINDS ME.

WHEN I AM JOYFUL, DOG JOINS ME.

WHO I AM, DOG KNOWS.

WHAT I NEED, DOG BECOMES.

"Have you ever had a pet?"

"Of sorts, he was my champion, not a pet." He was a companion, a friend.

"So you like animals?"

"In a way."

"You want that pillow?"

"I don't need it." Darissa gives one last glance at it before going to the head pillows in the next section.

She stares at the multiple options again, what was the difference between foam and feather stuffed pillows or synthetic feathers, how do you have fake feathers?

Experimentally Darissa reaches out and presses her hand into the pillow the material gives away to the small imprint of her hand. Soft to the touch with a sturdy structure; the pillow above it looks like an enormous cloud a very puffy cloud, she reaches out to touch it as well but finds herself slightly stretching herself upward to reach it properly.

A giggle and a snort from behind her reminds her that she still has company, very much soon to be dead company if they did not find a way to stop irritating her at every single corner, literary!

"Oh man, for an assassin baby that was pretty cute." Tim mocks lightly.

"You're so tiny and adorable; I want to give a hug!" Dick giggles again.

Darissa blinks slowly breathing in deeply, are they serious?

She does not dignify them with a response but she does allow for her head to tilt sideways just enough for her hair to cast shade over her face and slowly turns her head with a hateful glare set in place.

One look at her terrible face and they both sober quickly from their laughing fit. Dick placating with a response of "Never mind, forget I said anything Darcie. Did you decide on which pillow you want?"

She points one of the variations of the first pillow with a firm shape but with flatter frame and rounded corners. "I want three of those." She calls out before moving onto the next aisles without pillows where her eyes become blinded by the fluorescent colors of themed bedding.

The intensity made her involuntarily flinch at her first glance. While those abominations were definitely not an option nothing that was left looked particularly appealing either. She moves on to the next aisle, that has slightly less eye watering color palette there are a few tolerable options. One of which upon closer inspection becomes her first choice. While the Al Ghoul's

Prefer green shades Darissa has a mild inclination for red whenever possible and these bed sheets definitely warrant her interest.

A few other things are picked out in a professional manner before they finish of the things for the bed and move on to the bathroom section of the list.

"Whoa, I can't believe we finished off some of this list!" Dick announced to his current party.

"We still have a lot of other stuff left though and some of it is pretty important." Dick checks the time on his phone and looks over the list one more time before putting both away.

"We need some bathroom stuff first before we can get you a new wardrobe and by then there won't be much left to do."

Darissa grunts barely acknowledging Dick before walking off.

They walked away from the Room Decor section and moved toward the Bathroom Section.

She touches multiple towel sets some fabrics are rough and flimsy, others are thick and coarse, others are fluffy and soft, and those are the ones that make her pause curious the texture is unique. It's not silk it's not linen, but soft, such a strange concept to her the choice of soft and coarse is hers. So she picks out the velvet red towels that felt soft to the touch.

It strangely relaxed her to feel to touch and choose or reject in silence without having a wrong choice just her own whims for her decision.

Grayson seemed hesitant to come too close to her keeping Drake on his other side and away from her reach, there wariness and distance gave time to move away from the edge of confrontational.

Of course things were not meant to last Grayson began talking excessively the moment Darissa had let her irritation go.

She picked out a bathroom mat in the same fashion as the towels and kept walking slowly slipping into anger once more. Several Stores later she had a whole wardrobe of clothes to pass for a commoner and the pleasure of the permanent stench of plastic imitation.

"So Darcie?"

"What."

"What are your hobbies?"

"I don't have hobbies. I train and study. I perfect every technique, I master everything subject and move on."

"But is there anything you like or enjoy?"

"What is there to enjoy? I don't like or enjoy things, I don't have hobbies." It's what makes me a master assassin; It's what makes me her perfect.

"She's lying." Tim grins teasing lightly.

"What, I have not you-"

"She likes dancing. She even performs, when Ra's had us."

"I do not like dancing! It's a skill that I have perfected." It's the skill that allows her to feel passion. If she treated it with more care her mother would forbid it -then she would have never of let her continue her undercover mission. She would have never learned. Well it doesn't matter. It never does.

"You can't hide it, I know you like dancing."Tim jabs at her.

"I do not like dancing. I don't like anything!"

"Why can't you just admit to liking something. Does it ruin your your image of a hard core assasign baby?"Tim mocks her. "Is your ego that fragile?"

She's not supposed to like anything."Of course not. I'm a trained assassin any skill can become useful. Not in your case though."

"You know it's perfectly normal to like something but I guess you've been brainwashed for too long to realize it." Tim says harshly.

"That's enough." Dick calls their attention. "Tim apologize to Darissa for upsetting her."

Darissa turns around crossing her arms. She looks on the verge of crying with how angry and frustrated she is.

"Fine. I'm sorry." Tim says not feeling sorry for the truth.

Darissa retorts not in a forgiving mood,"Tt. I don't want your damn worthless apology. I want you dead. Don't bother sleeping -"

"Enough Darissa" Dick orders. His eyes soften, "You know it's okay to like something to enjoy it."

"But I don't. I demand retribution his -and your slight against me!" Darissa responds aggressively stepping forward.

Dick just nods his head resigned and understanding, "It's also okay if you don't know what you like."

"Don't pretend to know me. You know nothing! Neither of you. You observe one conversation of me with my Grandfather and presume to know our relationship?" This is exactly why she hates him and desire his death. "

"How about we take a bathroom break?" Dick throws out placating the riled up siblings. He points toward the bathroom sign, "Darissa go in and when your ready we'll be waiting outside."

Darissa huffs, she whips her hair around as she turns toward the women's bathroom.

She feels the prickling sensation of moisture that the cold air of the room turns frigid. Her nose twitches, her jaw sets determined. She swallows her anger. She steps into a stall and stares at the small tiles on the wall. A single cold tear runs down her cheek.

She can't do this anymore. Her patience has reached its limit. There's a large vent right above her stall. There's no one else around.

She looks from the flimsy cubicle plastic wall to the painted wall to the tile covered wall. She uses the toilet as a step, throwing her weight onto the tiled wall and pulls her weight onto the plastic wall that is surprisingly sturdier than it looks. She pulls out a short blade and wedges the edge between the grid and the ventilation shaft. She flinches as it pops it open. It has hooks on the inside that leave the vent cover hanging horizontally from her perch. She hooks her hands in the inside and hoists herself up. She shuffles around a bit before stretching her arm and pulling the vent cover and closing the vent.

Her breath evening out as she crawls forward into the dark. Her anger is pushed back father into her mind as her sight adjust to the shadows. Short strands of hair brush her sees a light coming up soon.

She comes to a full stop.

She peers down to observe. The vent seems to lead to a service entrance tucked away between two stores. She reaches for the latch. One hand braced on the vent cover and the other wedges the end of her blade to pop it open. She pears down checks if anyone is looking in this direction before gracefully falling down into a crouch. She stares at the open vent above her head for a moment before turning to the wall on the right and with open palm she pushes the vent up. It rattled in place from the extra force, wincing at the loud clank of metal on metal.

She steps back into the shadows. Taking a small strand of hair she pulls it into a tight braid, she pulls the rest of her hair into a high ponytail and wraps the braid around it.

She pulls up the long sleeves of her blouse cuffing it just above her elbow she tucks in the bottom the shirt in.

Hnn. Not her best work but she doesn't have to change her appearance much to disappear.

She waits for a crowd to conceal her exit, it doesn't take long for a group of loud teens to walk by and she steps out. She walks by them for a couple of stores before deciding to explore on her own. She wanders into a clothing shop.

* * *

 **AN: Okay so I suck at updating on a schedule at the most fundamental level ,but I update. Surprise I'm not dead I just got sick and decided why not write the rest of this?**

 **So double the length of the last chapter, haven't really proof read this so for any mistakes i'm sorry I'll fix it later. I do however have the next five chapters figured out mostly anyways so maybe I will keep up this time.**

 **Anyway some thoughts on this chapter would be great, is it too long? Too short? Hate it?**

 **Some notes:**

 **Darissa is kinda freaking out and I'm throwing a curve ball next chapter.**

 **I kinda don't like how this chapter took so long to write and honestly I'm kinda excited for the rest of this arch. Small time skip coming up in two or three chapters.**

 **Also has anyone ever contemplated how brainwashed Damian was when he first came to Bruce in the comics? Or how sheltered?**

 **Also Adventures of Super Sons comic is the only thing cannon for me right now. Everything else makes me too depressed.**

 **Music advice for this chapter:**

 **Otherside by Red Hot Chili Peppers**

 **Fake It by Seether**

 **And Finally not music but a movie if you have not seen Spider-Man: Into the Spider-verse Do It.**

 **Until next time~ Alycat**


	10. Idle Away Time Part 2

The store seemed to cater towards women and children. Half of the store was dedicated to women's wear, and well with a name like Papaya's it sounded very feminine. She wanders around the store, looking at clothing, finding a few styles she would have worn if she was a little bit older to actually fit her.

She cruises through the accessories and the Beauty Section. The specialization of color templates, themes, color scheme blends, brushes, sponges, stamps, tinsel, palettes, styles bombarding her with bombastic color to stand out among all other products which themselves seem to fall between two categories sleek or eye watering induced color saturation. It was confounding the sheer amount of choice preference or whim.

Why was it so difficult to compare to like or dislike? Is she not her own person? But has never been about her choice, but her ability to accept without question to give complete control of her body and mind to further her family. If she truly believe that she wouldn't be here in this store in this mall in this country with her father. No, she would not have protested a breath out of line let alone go against the wishes of the demons head, but she did because she believed that her mother has the better intentions for her, or had she never really made that choice?

She can't really recall actively going against her mother's wishes. The few blunders of disrespect were quickly sorted out for that matter. Was that out of respect love or fear?

Probably all of the above after all mother has always had the best intentions for her and has proven to love her so much that she defied grandfather in her name. In the end choices don't matter not her. It's not like she chose to be here her mother sent her to do one very specific thing learn from her father everything else is secondary.

Sometimes she finds it difficult to rein in her emotions her desires wants for the mission.

She wanders out of the store and begins moving towards another store this one was low lit and with a strong perfume radiating from the entrance.

Now what happened next can be blamed on a number of factors, the last time she rested was with her grandfather's ninjas that knocked her out the last time she actually slept? Hmn.

Despite her hardest to adapt to this country seamlessly this trip only highlighted her aversion to people, her lack of patience, tolerance. Her ability to act normal to blend in with the crowd came incredibly difficult to her.

There's too many people she can't keep track of them. She wants to block out all the noise around her. She wants to take in everything to be aware of everything. She varies from focus of her surroundings from one moment to the next there's a lot of people she can't avoid them all so she tries her best to not react to them.

"H'llo." A small voice calls from behind her.

She turns, furious and fully prepared to strike back. Her eyes widen shock looking down at the young boy standing right behind her.

She shrank back from the mysterious kid not particularly sure what to do with him.

"Hi."She stares the kid down with her harshest glare.

The kid didn't even bother to look up. He just shuffled his feet a bit keeping his head down.

Silence stays for several moments before she decides to ask what the hell this brat wanted.

The kid beats her to it, "um my name is Tommy and- and *sniffle* I can't find my parents!" The boy wails loudly.

Slightly freaked Darissa responds uncertain, "Shh. Don't cry it's childish!"

Kid seems more upset with her words and starts crying harder. Why won't he listen to her?

"Kid go to an adult why are you even bothering me?"

Thomas seems surprised by her question, " I don want my parents to be mad at me…. they told me to stay close and pay attention but I didn't do that!"

"Now there prob'ly mad and ground me forever!" The kid rambles, briefly forgetting to cry in favor of spilling his little heart out.

"Okay, but do you not want to go back to your parents?" She pauses before adding, "and why approach me?" there are other people who could help this kid.

"I umm, uh I saw you.. You where by yourself. I didn' want to get in trouble with any adults...and um you- you look only a little bit bigger than me so I thought it was okay." The boy sniffles wiping away his tears and snot on his his hand and sleeve.

Miraculously having calmed himself down by talking to her, despite how little she interacted with needs to get rid of him quickly.

"I assume your real name is Thomas?"

The boy nods vigorously, "mhm but everyone calls me Tommy."

"I am calling you Thomas it is unbecoming and insulting to go by anything other than your proper name."

Thomas frowns knitting his brows inconfusion.

"Oh okay." The little boy shrugs not understanding but accepting her words nonetheless.

"What does unbeck-er-uming mean?"

A tired huff escapes her. "Look kid go find your parents and leave me alone." She glares at the hopelessly confused, lost child."

"please.."

She turns away from him, breath catching in her throat. A surge of anger pulls at her core this child was begging her for 'help'. The pleade had passed her ears before, from dying men, from those that have lost to her superior skill. Men that were broken pleaded for her mercy. Mercy is for fools. Those men were pathetic- it brought vicious joy to her pride to make hardened assassins break.

Her mother would approve. But she's not here.

"Fine. I will help you, but you must listen to my every word."

Thomas stares hope gleaming in his eyes.

"The assistance office is located down stairs from there the officers can call your parents from the speaker system."

"Why can'n look for them?"

She rolls her eyes, glancing at him from her peripheral vision, "Do you know where they are?"

"No."

"Then it is a waste of time looking for them when they are looking for you."

* * *

"You want a use the bathroom while I wait for her here,and then we switch?"

"Sure… " Tim shakes his head hurriedly, reluctant to leave him alone for long, but apprehensive about waiting alone for the brat too.

Less than a handful of minutes Tim walks out of the bathroom and ushers Dick "go I don't want to be by myself when the brat comes out."

"Hey that's not nice." Dick playfully reprimands swatting his brothers arm walking into the restroom himself.

Dick Eventually comes out of the bathroom. he looks around for Darissa before sighing, " we'll just wait for her here then."

Tim grants in acknowledgement, while staring at the wall seemingly deep in thought or crying internally from his wasted time today.

Five minutes pass Tim signs irritably. "Dick." Giving that do something look.

" Yes I know but girls take a long time and you did upset her let's wait a little bit more before doing anything, okay?"

" Fine but if she doesn't come out soon I'm going to go home good luck with everything." Tim pulls out his phone answering huinink emails in rapid-fire if he has to be standing around might as well do something productive.

Another five minutes pass, eight, closer to 20 minutes.

"She's gone isn't she." Dick winces looking at the door to the female restroom. "Oh yes there is no way we're going to find her now." Tim put his phone down to grin, " Am I allowed to call Bruce now?"

A reluctant defeated look crosses over Dick's face "Yeah we probably should."

"Should? Dick she broke nearly every rule that Bruce gave her!"

Security guard wanders by peers into the bathroom before turning to them, " excuse me young man have you seen a little boy,"gestures about four feet with his hand, " about this tall brown hair with a blue sweater."

"No officer, we haven't can I ask what his name is in case we do?"

"Ah yes, his name is Thomas but his parents call him Tommy, if you see him take him to the assistance office on the first floor, his parents are getting a bit nervous."

"Of course officer, we'll keep an eye out for him."

"Thank you gentlemen."

The officer leaves them be after a nod on his search for the missing child.

"Do you think it's a Coincidence?"

" Maybe it just seems too convenient, either way let's table calling Bruce for now I'm sure we can find her before the day is over besides we have a way of tracking her it's just a matter of knowing what floor she's on."

"We do? Did Bruce put a tracker on her?"

" Yep the only problem is you'll probably ask why we used it will tell him the truth then but not a moment before. "

"Sure, there's two of us we can take two floors at a time and then rule them out."

Dick pulls out his phone tapping random icons on his screen before looking up, " It says she's somewhere on the other side of the mall but in in any store I think. "

"Where do you think she's headed?"

"Anywhere we are not there probably."

"Geez, throwing a tantrum like this is kinda annoying, but she just messed everything up for herself, what little trust Bruce was putting on her is gone, we didn't the things she needed, and now we have to hunt her down before she decides to go on a murder spree on everyone, while not causing a scene!"

"True but look at the bright side."

"What bright side? We lost an assassin child at the mall!"

"She hasn't done anything yet which means that there's a chance everyone gets out of this mess alive and unharmed."

"Yeah I doubt that but what's the plan to catch her?"

Dick sighs at Tim's pessimism, "you spend to much time with Bruce." petting his head before switching to leader mode.

"So this is what we're going to do."

* * *

"What's that?" Tommy points at a white line coming from her inner forearm occur around the outer part of her elbow.

"Hnm. Darissa glances at her elbow. "It's a scar."

"Oh cool! how did you get it?" he asks, " I have one to look," he points to his right wrist where is small scar just below his thumb is located.

"I was playing outside and I fell off of the log and the tree scratched me."

Darissa scoffs. " I got that one from a mountain cliff."

"Wow what were you doing on a mountain cliff?"

"Climbing it of course." Darissa preens.

"Cool did it hurt though?" he stumbles slightly distracted by talking you didn't see the slight dip of the metal for the escalator. "What did your mom and dad do?"

"Hm." Darissa looks away, she doesn't know. "My mother healed me."

"Yeah my mom made it feel better too."

"Sure." The lie taste bitter this kid is basically swaddled by his parents barely a spark of intelligence in him what a waste. She kept walking forward to the next escalator one more floor. She turns to check on the boy has he had slowed down enough to fall behind, but the child was gone. Panic and anger search to the front before being quashed buy calm simmering anger.

This is why she didn't like children. She looks around and sees a group of children huddled around a store entrance an embassy of Adult and pests irritating boy stood out among the others.

There was a young adult at the center of the crowd with a colorful bag in one hand labeled "Mystery Gift" and a microphone in the other. Standing underneath a wide arch the hat is some type of rounded animal ears.

She seamlessly maneuvered with the small crowd ignoring the speaker and the rambunctious Charter of the children and tugs the boy backwards and away from the crowd.

"What were you doing?"

"Oh, um."

"Right you weren't thinking."

"This is exactly why you got separated from your parents in the first place," She whispers angrily.

You're losing control….

She extends her hand and hold under his wrist.

"We're almost there." she marches forward."

This time her anger reaches through his bubble of oblivion and Thomas stays silent, tears threatening to fall.

"Why are you crying now?" Darissa demands, making Thomas flinch and tears tears to spill faster.

"I-I didn'n mean to get seperated from my mom and dad, and I promised them I wouldn't get destracted but I did then I got lost and you were so nice to help me and then I did the same thing again…" He mumbles at the end of his spiel.

"I'm sure you want to get to your mother just as much as you want to -and as much as I want you gone."

Darissa mutters, "and I thought Grayson and Drake were dramatic children…"

Darissa slows her pace for Thomas to keep up with he, before stopping abruptly. Blocking her path to the first floor is red tape and a cardboard sign in bold red letters:

 **WARNING**

 **OUT** **OF** **ORDER**

"If the stupid mechanics are broken to the escalator then they are regular stairs." Darissa huffs. "Let's go in there she points to the large Macy's store."

"Why are we going in there?"

"Because it's an anchor store which means that it will have a way down stairs."

"Awesome, how do you know so much?"

"Because I pay attention to my surroundings unlike you."

"Humm." Thomas nods, slightly hurt by her comment.

"Just one more floor." She says out loud uncertain i it was to keep him calm or for her peace of mind.

* * *

 **A.N.:**

 **Updated Finally!**

 **Some thoughts on Damian's character because I just realized that he basically became a hero to rebel against his mother out of spite and a deep desire to connect with his father and that seems really sad to me. Also the currently story lines that DC seems to be headed to are really scarring me. To give an example Batman #71 if you know what i'm talking about, or the current teen titans taking way most if not all of Damian's character development or the fact that super-sons is basically done. The only story line that seemed marginally good is the new Deceased story line which made me cry when Super Man told Damian about Bruce knowing that nothing would be okay I cried. I have only myself to blame I still feel really sad and raw from End Game which if you have not seen go watch its a great film.**

 **Spoilers! For anyone that still cares about that.**

 **But the first time I watched it that hug made me sob and it was some ugly crying. But I didn't catch what tony said as he pulled him into the hug until later - and that broke me I literally cannot listen to any marvel music or I start crying.**

 **Some notes for the next chapter:**

 **there will be a small chase scene and then what I hope will be sad contrast to some family reunions, and finally someone drops off some stuff for a certain little princess(Darissa).**

 **And then we move on to the next arch which I hope some people have their tissue if your prone to crying because a certain someone is going to 'die' but everyone knows that he's not really dead except the characters in the story of course. And then we will be moving on to the battle for the cowl story line and from there I spice things up for a while if anyone has any ideas or request for that because a lot of those chapters are written out as connected one shots with very minimal plot connecting them.**

 **Now for some music rec because you can never have to much music:**

 **Brandi Carlile, The Story**

 **Limp Bizket, Hold On**

 **Foster The People, Pumped Up Kicks**

 **And I'm finally done. IDK about the next update but I gotta plan out some stuff first we'll just have too see. If you see any mistakes this is not beta read so I'll fix them later when i do revisions, but I'm only human and I make mistakes~ point them out to me when you review.**

 **Enjoy, read and review.**

 **~Alycat**


	11. Idle Away Time Part 3

She tilts her head slightly, someone is watching her.

Hmm.

"She should be around here…" A masculine voice softly speaks from her left. Her eyes narrow.

Hmm.

She test a theory. Walking around the person that spoke, for once thankful for her height easily hiding her behind clothing racks. She tugs gently at the boys wrist keeping him oblivious to her actions.

"What? It says she moved to my left…" Dick looks around.

"What having difficulty finding an assassin baby, boy wonder?" Drake mocks.

"No but it's difficult to find someone that is two feet tall, boy wonder." Dick replies.

Darissa huffs irritated. How dare they mock her.

"Hey why did you st-" Darissa muffles his voice with her hand, placing one finger over her mouth in the universal motion of silence, but the damage is done Dick glaces at there location from his peripheral and she knows she's caught.

Damn. She did not take into account how this would look from an outsider's perspective. Trouble or not though she was not built to fail.

She glances around no Drake -probably blocking the exits. How are they tracking her though?

She glances down at herself and nearly hits her self with how incredibly stupid she must be acting to have not realized they would have chipped her cloths. She pulls off the sweater it's the only thing that she was given that was not hers.

"Tt." Stupid novice move, of course her father didn't trust her. He has no reason to trust her and never intended to and now that she had broken the rules she had not failed once but twice in the same day. Devastated and desperate she points in the direction of the elevator and presses the button. The elevator eventually appears and she practically throws the stair doors open sweater abandoned in the elevator. A sixty pound child is light weight to her. She picks him up awkwardly from the height imbalance that it creates and runs toward the first flight of stairs and jumps she lands wincing at the impact before doing it twice more, pain is only weakness leaving the body.

She shoved her back into the door and puts the boy down barely pausing to let the boy gain his balance before walking toward the opposite entrance of the escalator. Ten seconds left before the elevator reaches the bottom floor and that's all the time she needs. In the background she hears the ding of the elevator reaching the first floor and a loud swear from Drake's grating voice. He still has a chance to guess the right direction and catch up if she doesn't pick up the pace. With a final burst of speed they make it out the store now they just need to make it to the other side of the mall without being caught.

However just as she thinks she's safe a tingle of unease settles upon her someone is watching her. She looks back to see Drake toward the back of the store appear around the corner.

Ah, so he did not guess right and thought he could still catch her. A mean smirk crosses her face waving goodbye before disappearing from the glass display and into the crowd.

Once more effortlessly weaving between the crowd she makes it passed a few stores before slowing down to a casual pace.

"Your balance needs work, you also should stay silent when I say so."

"Oh I'm sorry you didn't tell me to hush."

"Don't talk back and it was implied when i fell silent that you should follow my lead."

"And how was I supposed to know that too?"

"I suppose I could have mentioned that earlier but then again you are dismally unable to listen to instructions so perhaps this evens it out." Darissa huffs, "besides thanks to my skills and a little luck I managed to get us this far without getting caught by an adult."

"Yeah your right." The boy sulks before quickly cheering up, "how didd you do that jump? The one on the stairs, that was supper cool!" He chats excitedly.

"Practice and weight lifting."

"Cool! I want to learn how to do that!"

"Maybe if you had the training or the muscle mass or the skills to perform that stunt you would."

"Maybe when I'm older I can learn how to do that."

"Maybe but you would have to put a lot more effort than what i have seen you display today."

"Then from now on I'll try to do better so that one day I can do that too."

Darissa snorts,"good luck with that."

"Alright we're going in there." Darissa nods her head at the double jointed store with large dark blue letters spelling out 'GAP' glancing wearily at the railing opening to the second floor if they didn't follow her from behind then they will try to catch her from the top floor.

She walks into the store Thomas in hand and goes straight to the back of the store, pretending to be interested in a few items so as to not draw suspicion from the employees before moving on to the adjacent store this one with all children's wear. Great. This time pretenses are dropped and she practically flies through the entrance and briskly walks forward to the safety of a roof blocking anyone from seeing them from the floor above.

She improvises the following weak points - the ceiling openings before she finally sees her destination a few stores away.

Relief floods her at the sight of her ticket to freedom. But quashes that emotion not yet she's almost done.

She steps into the office with Thomas trailing behind her.

"Hello." She begins.

A blond burly man smiles kindly at them.

"Hello young lady, do you need help?"

"Yes," she points toward Thomas," he got separated from his parents. "

"Oh and how did you get here?"

Darissa flashes a fake grin, "I used the mall map displays."

"Why didn't you look for an officer, a small frown makes it to her face,"Why would I waste time wandering around when I know that you could just call up his parents."

"Well that was very smart of you, do you know the parents' names?"

Darissa stares expectantly at Thomas,"tell the officer your parent's name."

"Oh okay." he looks down nervously, "uhm.. My mom's name is Darline and Gabriel -wait I mean my dad's name is Gabriel…. Yes I think so.."

Darissa rolls her eyes and the officer simply smiles amused by the child's stuttering.

"He wants the last name too."

"Oh it's Pacella."

"Hmm, meaning peace.." Darissa mulls over the name.

"Okay we'll get your parent's down here right away in fact they were looking for you too. The officer patts the boy on the head gently, my friend Stephanie over there called in your parents."

A blond woman that Darissa had deemed unimportant at the time is scrutinized from head to waist. The woman named Stephanie smiles and waves at then cheerfully from behind a desk. "Hello sweetheart, your parents will be here any minute now so don't you worry about it okay?"

Thomas nods slowly, taking in her words giving an enthusiastic, "Okay!" Wishes to see is mom and dad more than anything in the world.

Stephanie raises an eyebrow at Darissa eyeing her, and grins waving at her before pointing at the entrance where Grayson and Drake are standing around looking casual but both make eye contact with her.

Dick grins and waves excitedly, while Tim glares at her. She looks back at the jr officer behind the desk she looks familiar somehow.

Not feeling threatened enough to remember the blond woman she turns and ignores the two irritations outside the office and the giggly blonde woman behind the desk.

Darissa hates the cheerful smile of this strange woman. What is her problem?

She returns her focus to Thomas who is babbling his thrilling adventure to the office before frantic footsteps come barreling through the door.

"Thomas! Oh Tommy my sweet boy!" The woman throws herself at the child, nearly in tears, bearing her head into the young boys shoulder. " Oh- hu my baby I thought I'd lost you forever."

"It's alright now. Your here with us Tommy." The boy's father kneels engulfing his wife and son in a tight hug.

Darissa stares at the overly dramatic parents, and emotional child, disgusts fills her, they are too dependent of each other. Something bitter stirs to the top. "Tt" How pitiful.

She wants to leave now more than ever but dread and high expectations of punishment keep her rooted to the floor.

Her failure has never left her so exposed and confused, where is her shame? Where is her humiliation? She failed but she can't bring herself to be sorry for it. A strange sense of self gratification for defying both her mother and father, both knowing and understanding what her actions will bring her - it's the petty revenge in the end that she embraces.

She stands resolutely defiant she walks away from the small family unit, disturbed and off put. She hates this. She hates everyone.

"No way I believe her! Whatever she says."Tim shakes his head. "She probably grabbed the kid from his parents thinking that she could trick us into believing that she wanted to help a lost child so we wouldn't punish her for breaking the rules." Tim rants angry at the day wasted and at the brat that made his waste his time.

"Maybe but we were supposed to keep an eye on her. We don't really know what happened,Tim." Dick places his hand on Drake's shoulder from a distance.

"Besides she knows she's in trouble."Dick points out. "Might as well find out what she did."

They walk up to an irritated Darissa,"So why don't you fill us in on your side of the story?"

Darissa huffs looking to the side pressing down on her back heels a little too much. "I wasn't going to kill him if that's what you wanted to know."

"And we'er just supposed to take your word on that little miss murder baby."

"Don't call me an infant, you incompetent fool!"

"Your not selling your innocence with meanness Darissa." Dick interrupts them.

"Fine. The child Thomas approached me after I had gotten rid of your dead weight from my shadow. I didn't kill him because it would have brought more attention to myself. I would rather be stuck with him than to stay in your company another minute." Darissa finally turns to look them in the eye. "I had no tolerance for children however because of the circumstances my choices were limited cause a scene get caught or get the problem fixed." "I knew I would not be able to slip by again after returning the child but by then I didn't care anymore."

"So then why did you run off in the first place you knew it would get you in trouble."

Darissa looks away again silent.

Dick watches her hunched shoulders pressing together, her eyes glossy and moist and nods his head, "Yeah okay I get we pushed you too far, and you felt like you couldn't handle it anymore."

Darissa nervously dug her nails into her forearm; shock written clearly in her features, "That not- what? No! That's not why, your excessive nature and inability to shut up forced me to either kill you or get you out of my presence; I knew and didn't care for the consequences, but I didn't want to kill you then."

She glances back at Tim, "I'm patient."

"Yeah maybe that threat would work better if you weren't a three feet tall assassin that hasn't killed us."

"Yet."

"Whatever lets go home from what we gathered from you, Alfred picked out some clothes for you and bought all the stuff that I approved. Bruce is waiting at home to dish out you punishment." Dick explains.

"Now do your self a favor and don't get into anymore trouble today at least." Dick looks at her.

"Tt." Darissa reluctantly nods her head.

"It's good to see you Steph see you later."

"Bye Dick," the blond waves, "bye Tim" She winks and blows a kiss.

Tim smiles back and waves, "bye Steph."

Darissa frowns taking in their familiarity. Who is that woman?

* * *

Inhale.

Exhale.

Blink.

Tap. Snap.

Inhale. Badum, Badum.

Flex.

Tap.

There's a crooked shelf on that wall.

Exhale.

Blink.

That painting looks nice.

This shirt is comfortable.

Stretch.

Flex.

Inhale.

Faint Snaps, Creaks, Chirps, Buzz come from everywhere, echoing.

Exhale.

Badum.

Static. Black.

Expand contract.

Silence. Badum. Quiet. Badum.

The carpet feels rough.

Tick tick. Buzz.

Swallowing, flex, Deep breath. Failure number twelve.

Eyes slowly open. Why is it so difficult to stay unfocused? The moment she becomes aware of something in the exterior she fails to block it out; like being told don't look for a white car and suddenly everything white becomes a glaring beacon. Honestly her attempts at meditation emphasize her monumental boredom with her life. She feels painfully aware of every second passing by wasted, never to be again. Every book, item, object, project, idea, holds no interest because it has been done. Every chore, task, assignment, complete. The lack of direction guidance, goal, nags like irritated skin begging for the brief relief of scratching.

She's been here three months in that time she has gone out once. That ended with her losing any possibility of her father's trust. She failed her mission and her staying here is probably the punishment her mother has set upon her for her lack of restraint and failure to show any competence towards building human relationships -not that she ever bothered to relate to any of them.

Useless leeches that took the affection and respect that is rightfully hers. Which was her third failure, her incapacity to get rid of them whether through sheer luck,sabotage, or strong armed into backing down by father, or cosmic intervention none have come close to death despite supposed mastery of the arts of an assassin.

Reflecting on her failure for the past three months seems counterproductive but perhaps some inspiration will strike.

Perhaps she is being too predictable in her attempts ? She thinks back to her textbook executed attempts: Poisoning his food, Stabbing them in the back, stabbing them in the front, Kill them in their sleep.

Oh! Maybe she tried too hard?

Historically ninjas are known as master gray-men, according to her research in modern terminology of blending and escaping, that would blend in assassinate and leave a mystery to a successful kill or they would just set the person's house on fire and run.

A shadow is cast through the window. Darissa leaps over the couch and faces the window A note it plastered to the window. With hope crushed by the letter; Her mother's words:

 **My beloved daughter,**

 **Our time apart grows but I hope this will alleviate any concerns that I have forgotten you. I have taken the liberty to return to your possession your personal items to continue your routine as similarly as possible - -Mother**

The Al Ghul symbol stamped to the side of mother's signature.

Joy when understanding the letter, she flings the window open. Two chest were lying just outside the window for the first time in three grueling months a smile blooms across her face.

* * *

 **So this is probably the fastest I have ever updated since i gave up on a schedule but this chapter was going to be longer until I realized it would have more of an emotional gut punch in the next story arch. So have fun with that.**

 **I have most of the next few chapters written out like usual I'm not sure how long it will take to write and edit it all out before posting but I'll get a rough draft going.**

 **Has anyone else ever feel the loneliness of standing alone?**

 **Honestly the new DC story Deceased #02 had me crying. I finally caught up with the Teen Titan run for Damian's team and man some of those characters are annoying as hell Djinn turned out to be disappointing, Crush became flat and one dimensional. Kid flash was fine I guess. Damian was just handled so poorly. The rest of the family is still pretty disappointing, even Alfred that is except Jason but whatever.**

 **The Superman family team up was okay but I miss kid Jon mostly because I loved SuperSons so much.**

 **The twist ending for Hero's in Crisis was sad and confusing to me if anyone can explain it please do so.**

 **Okay so some music recs:**

 **Any song from Peach Pit**

 **In Scandinavia by Runrig**

 **Spontaneous Me by Lindsey Stirling**

 **Disturbia by the Cab**

 **Self/less OST by Antonio Pinto**

 **Please review if you hate this story love it have any questions.**

 **Until next time.**

 **~AlyCat63**


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